Whether we add them to our calendar, make intentional plans and preparations, or keep them tucked away as subconscious thoughts, we all have our own traditions and rituals which we observe to recognize and celebrate the changing of seasons.
It might be planning a garden and ordering seeds… buying your first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year… searching for the perfect wall calendar… unearthing your swimsuit and flip-flops… but whatever it is, to each of us it has a level of personal meaning, significance, weight.
These acts, small or large, add colour and depth and shape to the routine of daily living. They remind us of who we are, what makes us happy, what moves us. They acknowledge the bittersweetness of the passage of time.
They may seem inconsequential to others, but they are important to us.
I have my own little “welcome, autumn” tradition that takes place, unbidden, each year. I rarely burn incense in the warmer months – for me, it’s more of a cosy, indoors-y sort of thing to do – but the moment I sense that crisp taste of fall in the air I will remember, and light a stick of Nag Champa incense. The swirling trail of smoke carries a sweetly spicy fragrance throughout the house, the smell of red and golden leaves, cosy sweaters, hot drinks – the smell of fall that lingers in my clothes and hair, reminding me.
Though it’s not something I plan, it isn’t really autumn to me until I light that first stick of incense, remember the past, and dream of the future.
So welcome, autumn! Here’s to another beautiful season.
How do you celebrate the changing of the seasons?
What says “welcome, autumn” to you?
