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According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, autumn arrives Sunday at 8:44 a.m.

Fall is the season for all senses. The feel of cooler temperatures after a long summer. A warm, visually pleasing palate of reds, oranges and browns. The taste of pumpkin spice in everything. The sound of crunching leaves underfoot. The smell of woodsmoke.

Like spring, fall is a season of transition, a reminder of the value of change, in this case from bright, buzzing, verdant summer toward the dark, quiet calm of winter.

Though the days turn cold and the night draws in, we should not mourn; this time of year is full of richnesses and new beginnings too.

So much of our approach to the season in literature and music has a dying fall: “Nothing gold can stay,” as Robert Frost put it. 

Fall brings with it an array of themed events and holidays that spark a sense of joy and togetherness. The season is filled with opportunities for gatherings and festivities like Halloween, haunted houses, Thanksgiving, and football. 

The mornings are darker and evenings shorter – one definition of autumn is that it begins on the equinox, September 21 or 22, the fall equinox, when dark and light are equal; another is based on average temperature, and kicks the season off on September 1. 

Fall brings many things. Cooler temperatures for one. Lovely scenery as leaves change color. It’s the season of pumpkins, squashes, apples, and pears. It’s also the season for scarecrows, fodder shocks, colored leaves, etc. Soon, pumpkins will be everywhere. From carved-out Halloween pumpkins to pumpkin flavored items in every grocery store, you can’t go a day without being reminded that pumpkins and autumn go together.

Many old-timers remember it as the season of apple butter making.

It is also the season of sweaters. Fall’s slightly warm yet somewhat cooler weather calls for a soft sweater to knock the chill.

Soon it will be October and Halloween, which is a special holiday to fall, and all the little traditions people do on Halloween. Seeing kids dressed up as their favorite person, prancing around the streets, and asking for a sweet treat is a fun holiday.

However, my favorite fall holiday is Thanksgiving. Besides consuming my body weight in turkey and stuffing, potatoes and green beans, I love how the whole holiday is based around appreciation. I feel that in this day and age, people don’t take enough time to appreciate what they have! The whole feeling of togetherness and having the family together is also such a great feeling to have on this special day! 

While summer has its own charm, there’s something uniquely enchanting about the fall season. The clothing is more comfortable, the temperature is just right, and the themed events are heartwarming. It’s a time to embrace change all whilst indulging in fall festivities.

The natural changes of autumn – the spectacular show of changing leaves on display in deep forests and neighborhoods alike – mirror changes we experience in our own lives. Our routines change in the fall, whether you’re in a “back to school” season of life, easing back into a work routine after your summer vacations, or preparing to snowbird to warmer climes.

The joys of fall truly saturate every sense. Our eyes take in the vibrant reds, oranges, yellows and waning greens of the trees. Our noses inhale the clean, fresh air mixed with the scents of newly-lit fireplaces and warming foods. Our bodies feel the soft comfort of longer pants, tops, loose scarves and shoes. The flavors of fall both excite and soothe our taste buds. And in addition to the much-anticipated sound of crunching leaves, our ears take in the voices of friends and family members who are back from summer adventures and ready to reconnect and reunite.

Navigating change is a challenge, but in the fall, our senses are flooded with cues to remind us that change can also be beautiful, worth pausing to savor, filled with pleasing moments that can sustain us through whatever the coming winter has in store.

So autumn may be the “last” of the sunny seasons, but it is indeed something to smile about – something quite lovely.