“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!”: How to Fully Embrace the Autumnal Equinox
As the leaves drop alongside the temperature, we find ourselves falling back into our yearly traditions.
BY BIANCA LLERENA
A Quick History Lesson:
As geese begin to migrate overhead, it is quite common to see carved pumpkins sprout on gravel doorsteps and grocery stores stockpiling bags of candy; but where did all of these ideas originate anyway? As far back as the 19th century, Ireland began to use turnips and radishes as “jack-o-lanterns” to ward off evil spirits. The evil spirits in question came from folklore following “Stingy Jack,” a man who tricked the devil into agreeing never to take his soul. Once he died, the devil kept his promise and sent Jack back into the world, forcing him to wander through the dark of night for all eternity, lighting his way with nothing more than a hollowed turnip. Afterward, America adopted this tradition by carving pumpkins instead of turnips, due to their ease-of carving. Autumnal traditions became more child-oriented in response to the Post-World War II baby boom and suburbanization. Some of the surviving children-friendly traditions include "trick-or-treating.” What’s more kid-friendly than a delicious handful of candy corn?
TV and Radio:
The traditions of pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, and Halloween, in general, aren’t the only traditions that we follow during the Autumnal Equinox; watching shows like Gilmore Girls, Breaking Bad, One Tree Hill, and Stranger Things have proved to be popular as they reward audience members with fall nostalgia. The familiar autumn colors of our favorite fall-time shows reward the audience with comfort and peace. The classic short animated film titled “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!,” has been a source of fall nostalgia in many Americans’ lives since its release on October 27th of 1966. Music during this season, widely contrasting depending on the person, can mean listening to “There She Goes” by The La’s, “Wonderwall” by Oasis, and practically anything by The Smiths. Notice how most of these shows and songs were either popular or set in the mid-80s to mid-90s, most likely due to the nostalgic cinematography and sound that reminds us of fall and our childhood. Even the emergence of Spirit Halloween reminds us what pop culture characters have made it to costume form (like Bruno and Luisa from Encanto and Argyle from Stranger Things).
Hayrides and Apple Orchards:
Hidden in a pile of photographs somewhere deep inside my family’s closet is a picture of me sitting atop a wagon packed with yellow hay. Many traditions this time of year are also instinctively comfortable; we carry them as lovely fall memories, and nothing is lovelier than picking apples right from the tree. Some others include corn mazes, bonfires, leaf-piling, and, of course, football season (Go Gophers!). Significantly, these ultra-American traditions coincide with the underlying themes of the richness of family values and spending time with those we love.
So What About the Start of Autumn as a College Student?
As a college student at the beginning of the semester, it's pretty common for lingering feelings of homesickness to amplify. But there should be no reason we should be facing this alone. This new breath of life in the face of homework and the city is an invitation to experience autumn together. Reap old traditions with new friends; watch the Halloween movies (12 in total!!), the Scream movie series, The Blair Witch Project, and even childhood classics like Coraline, Monster House, Corpse Bride, and Halloweentown. Bake Halloween-themed cookies and go thrifting to update your sweater collection. Try a pumpkin-spiced latte before they disappear for another year. Remember that the feeling of autumn is universal and we should revel in this comfort while it’s here. The feeling of fall only lasts until the weather drops yet again. So enjoy the shift into yellow and amber-colored leaves, the softness of a cotton sweater, the smell of hot coffee and pumpkin candles, and nothing, I repeat nothing, beats the feeling of stepping on a crunchy leaf.
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