Everyone around me loves Halloween and Fall; I now find it depressing and I don’t know what changed

[Anonymous]

I find fall (and spring) very difficult. We moved from southern CA (where there are only very minor season changes) to Virginia when my kids were very young, and that's when my sad feelings towards fall and spring started. I think it's because those two seasons show so much "change" and it was a reminder that my kids were growing older.

[Anonymous]

Jan-March is the absolute worst. Horrible weather, darkness, zero fun.

[Anonymous]

Halloween is awful. I hate it. What even is this holiday?

I love fall though. Crisp weather that's great for hiking and spending time outside, an excuse to make fall foods, watching football with family and friends, the beautiful color in the trees... what's not to like? Halloween is an annoying distraction right in the middle but everything else gets two thumbs up from me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dislike the period from late October to New Years. There are just too many social and familial expectations and the days keep getting shorter. I always feel relieved when we finally get to January.

+1

And I hate hearing Chrismas music for two months straight everywhere and seeing commercials ordering me to spend money and on top of that be happy happy happy.

+2

Stop trying to make me be cheerful when it's dark outside at 4:30PM!

I respect your feelings but humans have been scheduling holidays involving lights, social gatherings, music, and celebration around the winter solstice basically since the beginning of time specifically because it's dark and miserable and cold and there is an instinct to counteract that. I personally do not like Christmas music so I don't need that, but all the other holiday stuff is fine with me even though I'm not religious because December would be so freaking depressing without all the holiday lights and office parties and days off work. I think it's necessary, frankly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love fall but I despise Halloween.

Man, we should start a club.

I feel like the 10% of people who LOVE Halloween make it miserable for everyone else. It is so much forced fun, if you have young kids. Pretty much every other holiday, I feel like it's possible to pick and choose what works for your family. Because Halloween gets shoehorned into a weekday most of the time, and happens in your neighborhood and involves this reciprocal arrangement with trick or treating, it feels much harder to opt out. I do it for the kids but loathe it.

Hopefully in a few years, my kids will either want to go out with their friends on their own, or just stay home and give out candy to little kids, and then I can check out on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love fall but I despise Halloween.

Man, we should start a club.

I feel like the 10% of people who LOVE Halloween make it miserable for everyone else. It is so much forced fun, if you have young kids. Pretty much every other holiday, I feel like it's possible to pick and choose what works for your family. Because Halloween gets shoehorned into a weekday most of the time, and happens in your neighborhood and involves this reciprocal arrangement with trick or treating, it feels much harder to opt out. I do it for the kids but loathe it.

Hopefully in a few years, my kids will either want to go out with their friends on their own, or just stay home and give out candy to little kids, and then I can check out on it.

You loathe the one single day of ToT for your kids?

As you point out, it's easy enough to opt out of most esle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Me, too. I’m a summer girl. Always have been, always will be. I mourn its passing every year.

Even disgusting swampy triple digit swamp @ss DC summers???

I cannot stand summer in DC.

Summer in northern or Southern California or Maine or somewhere pleasant- sure.

Anywhere south in the summer is pure hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Me, too. I’m a summer girl. Always have been, always will be. I mourn its passing every year.

Even disgusting swampy triple digit swamp @ss DC summers???

I cannot stand summer in DC.

Summer in northern or Southern California or Maine or somewhere pleasant- sure.

Anywhere south in the summer is pure hell.

I love everything about summer. So does everyone in my family.

Summer people.

We despise snow, of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Me, too. I’m a summer girl. Always have been, always will be. I mourn its passing every year.

Even disgusting swampy triple digit swamp @ss DC summers???

I cannot stand summer in DC.

Summer in northern or Southern California or Maine or somewhere pleasant- sure.

Anywhere south in the summer is pure hell.

I love everything about summer. So does everyone in my family.

Summer people.

We despise snow, of course.

Ah! The opposition here- even have a big fluffy snow dog who also hates summer.

[Anonymous]

I'm not American and I find Halloween amusingly tacky. We do not decorate or participate.

[Anonymous]

Try this:

1. Go shopping for some Fall clothes, etc. A couple new sweaters along with cute shoes and a purse might perk you up.

2. Buy yourself a Halloween costume to wear as you hand out candy.

3. What’s your Halloween night ritual? Do you stay home to pass out candy or do you take your kids around the neighborhood? Perhaps switch things up a bit if you find your traditional ritual tedious? Perhaps join up with some friends?

4. Decorate your house. Create a vibe.

5. Enjoy a cold hard cider.

6. Take a weekend trip to enjoy the fall vibe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Me, too. I’m a summer girl. Always have been, always will be. I mourn its passing every year.

Even disgusting swampy triple digit swamp @ss DC summers???

I cannot stand summer in DC.

Summer in northern or Southern California or Maine or somewhere pleasant- sure.

Anywhere south in the summer is pure hell.

I love everything about summer. So does everyone in my family.

Summer people.

We despise snow, of course.

I love summer too. The sunshine, long days, slower pace/fewer obligations. I understand why people hate summer especially in the DC area but I’m not one of them.

I don’t despise the snow per se, I just hate how dark and gray it is in the winter.

[Anonymous]

This is my favorite holiday and favorite time of year but this year feels different. Halloween is a great, creative escape but things look pretty bleak for our country and I’m not sure I have it in me for “business as usual”. There’s nothing to celebrate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys are my people. I don't exactly hate fall, it's fine... but I do hate winter, and the impending doom of the season is just depressing. I love gardening and being out and about, and the thought of 30 degree days in slush and ice makes it hard to enjoy this transitional time however nice 68 degree days are now.

Then, Halloween just seems like a lot of work (with grade school kids) and I am super not into horror or even a spooky aesthetic. I think I *could* like Halloween if it was just everyone else with yard decor and costumes and gourds, etc. and I could just mosey around and appreciate their commitment to the season. But alas, kids do not want to be bystanders to the big event so I am the one with the yard decor and costumes and gourds...

Just counting down the days until March 20, 2026.

But a good winter kills so many of the bugs and fungus plaguing your garden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not American and I find Halloween amusingly tacky. We do not decorate or participate.

Cocky