“Happi” Fall!

Happi Fall!

By Isobel Matsukas, Editor in Chief

I always say I can’t decide on a favorite season, but I love everything about fall! Autumn is a time of transition and change. It’s when school starts, the leaves change color and fall, and we start wearing warmer clothes. I love being outside, and fall has the perfect weather for outdoor activities! I know it’s going to be different this season without our usual traditions of the Powderpuff Game and Homecoming Dance, Halloween get-togethers, and “Friendsgiving,” but there are still so many ways to still celebrate this season! I’ve included a list of some of my favorite things to do during this time that we are still able to enjoy during the pandemic:

 

  • Carve pumpkins! Try carving on top of an inexpensive plastic shower curtain for the ability to spread out or on a trash bag for easy cleanup.
  • Visit a pumpkin patch or an apple orchard.
  • Recreate Flint Hill’s Bonfire with a small campfire and the addition of smores! (Please be mindful and do not congregate in groups! Also keep fire safety in mind to prevent injury. Think about the recent wildfire tragedies.)
  • Hiking! There are some great trails and places to get outside. Take advantage of Northern Virginia! Lake Fairfax, Burke Lake, Great Falls Park, Meadowlark Park, and Scott’s Run Nature Preserve are just a few options.
  • Bake cookies! There’s nothing like a chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven with the brisk fall weather!
  • Find a new favorite warm tea flavor, I love to wind down at the end of a chilly day with Sleepytime’s Classic Herbal Tea consisting of chamomile, spearmint, lemongrass, tilia flowers, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, hawthorn, and rosebuds.
  • Fall has so many amazing “fall tastes” (tastes that are unique to the autumn season). Try mixing in some fall produce into meals and snacks – pumpkin, beets, sweet potato, kale, pears, cranberries, carrots, and apples are some of my favorites.
  • Go for a walk, turn off your phone, and take in the wonderful scenery and colors.

 

I’ll leave you with a fun fact: according to Merriam-Webster, the words “fall” and “autumn” are used interchangeably, but “fall” is more commonly used in American English than British English. “Autumn” is the older of the two words and comes from the Latin word “autumnus.” The season used to be referred to as “harvest,” which was confused with the actual harvest, and therefore was changed in the 1300s. Then, in the 1600s, the word was changed to “fall” because it was shorter and the leaves falling off of trees.

I hope you learned something and now have a few ideas to get outside and take in all that this wondrous season has to offer. Enjoy and have a happihealthy day!