Spooky Spells to Sweater Weather: Enjoying the Calm Before the Cocoa
“Boo!” Wait, the spooky season is already over? As the haunted house and Thriller fades into the distance, it’s easy to forget that fall fun has just begun. Lately, the term “romanticizing”—people reframing mundane, everyday activities to find more joy and meaning by treating them as a special occasion—has been circulating on social media platforms like Tiktok and Instagram. We often feel pressured to constantly have something ‘interesting’ going on in our lives: parties, fancy cafe hangouts, or renting an airbnb in the mountains, the list goes on. But with a bit of “romanticizing”, curating your best fall yet won’t feel like a chore. Between the Halloween frights and Christmas lights, here are some ways to savor all of the cozy, autumnal moments in between.
Cozy Gatherings & Food-Focused Fun
Photo by Chase Klimek
Start the fall festivities off with a “Bring a Board” night: a potluck styled party, where each guest brings a different fall-themed food board. Think charcuterie, but with a twist. From caramel apple and pumpkin spice desert boards to a soup-and-bread board, full of savory goodness, there is no shortage of creative options to try.
A chili cook-off would also be the perfect post-Halloween gathering to celebrate autumn flavors while staying budget friendly. Mix your favorite chili with fall flavors like pumpkin, squash, apple, or roasted vegetables, and encourage guests to bring a recipe card so everyone can recreate the dish at home. Light up a few candles, turn up the volume of your favorite fall playlist, and spend the night with your friends chatting (and munching!) away.
Of course, spending time with friends is fun, but sometimes, you want some time for yourself. When the nights get longer and the air turns crisp, there’s nothing better than curling up for a fall-themed movie night. Create an atmosphere by dimming the fluorescent lights and lights to create a warm, glowing effect in the room. Enjoy a movie with a comforting seasonal snack, like cinnamon sugar popcorn, hot cocoa, or apple crisps.
As Bethesda Chevy-Chase Junior Rona Majumder said, “You don’t need to be with people to enjoy it. Learn to enjoy time with yourself. Like, go for walks. Enjoy the fall weather, the trees.” For her, savoring the fall is about slowing down and letting small moments feel meaningful – whether that’s reading in a quiet cafe or listening to her favorite cozy-season songs like “Leaves That Are Green” by Simon & Garfunkel and “Eyes Without a Face” by Billy Idol during a long walk under the changing leaves.
Nature & Outdoor Fun
Photo by Chase Klimek
Even after Halloween, fall offers plenty of opportunities to soak up its vibrant colors and smells. In the daylight, going on walks and taking advantage of local parks or trails allow you to admire the colorful fall foliage. You could collect some of your favorite leaves for a DIY project, or capture the beauty of autumn with an outdoor photo excursion.
Beyond the activities themselves, Richard Montgomery Senior Arisa Collin shared that fall feels like a reset, a season to lean into the feeling of new beginnings. “Fall for me is associated with the beginning of a new school year. So, I watch Gilmore Girls, I study at cafes, I drink pumpkin lattes. So it’s fall and academics in that way,” she said.
Another way to combine movement, fresh air, and the seasonal charm is with a bonfire night. All you have to do is gather friends and family around a backyard fire pit or a safe public fire area, and roast marshmallows, make s’mores, or just enjoy a warm drink by the fire.
Whether it’s as simple as lighting your favorite cinnamon-scented candle or cozying up with your cat to rewatch the Harry Potter series in bed, the possibilities are infinite; you just have to grab your favorite sweater and dive headfirst into the magic of fall.
Written by Aiko Matsuda
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons