With fall leaves, perfect weather, cozy vibes, football season, and the build up to the holidays fall is by far the best season in Oxford.

For this short period of time the  weather outside is perfect. The air is crisp all while the leaves are turning red, orange, and yellow. In this there are endless things that you can spend your time doing outside. People enjoy many things outside from taking a walk through their neighborhood to tailgating before a big football game.

There is no worry of going outside and getting sunburned and sweating as there is in summer. The sun is still out but there is a cooling breeze in the air. On the other hand, there is no need to bundle up in coats just yet as there is in the winter.

Cozy Season

Fall is also thought of as the cozy time of year as they are transitioning from the rush of summer into a calmer season.

People start replacing their swimsuits and flip flops with sweaters and boots. Further, people’s homes start to look like fall as people cover their house with pumpkins and fall decor as their blankets are out of the attic and draped over the couch.

Scents like pumpkin spice and cinnamon fill the air from candles. Many people enjoy sitting by their fireplace wrapped up in a blanket whether they are watching a movie, spending time with others, reading a book, or simply taking in the moment.

Fall Menu

Restaurants begin to offer seasonal fall foods and drinks. An example of one that people look forward to is Starbucks’ fall menu. This includes their Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, among many others.

While people do order off of fall menus, the staples and at-home seasonal foods and drinks are not forgotten. A number of fall evenings consist of drinking hot chocolate and apple cider at home.

People drink these as their kitchens are filled with the smell of foods such as apple pie and pumpkin bread. Along with this, football fans spend hours baking anything and everything for upcoming football tailgates.

Football

In the south, especially in a college town like Oxford, the fall means football season. From high school games on Friday, to college games on Saturday, to NFL games on Sunday, there is never a dull moment during the weekend.

Football is more than a game in the south and more of a culture and tradition. Tailgating in the Grove before a college game in Oxford is an event in and of itself before the game starts.

People join together hours before kickoff in tents filled with the decor of your team and enjoy food as well as the company of others. People of all ages and generations fill the Grove each and every home gameday. Once entering Vaught-Hemingway stadium the atmosphere is unmatched and unlike any other.

The stadium is filled with thousands of fans cheering, bright lights, the sound of the marching band, and football players and coaches fighting

for a win.  Some might say it is just a football game, but if you ask someone from the South, specifically Oxford,  they will  tell you it is one of their very favorite and most memorable times of the year.

Holiday Build Up

As football season goes on, it becomes closer and closer to the holiday season. For most, the build up to the holiday season is fun, if not more fun than the actual holidays themselves. For example, Christmas Eve is its own special day due to the excitement and anticipation that can sometimes meet or surpass the thrill of Christmas day.

This is the same for the fall season , the fall is filled with the build up, anticipation, and preparation for the holiday season. During this time, people often catch themselves shopping for decor and plan festivities for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

The sense of anticipation and excitement is present through the air giving the fall a warm, welcoming feeling.

Decor

During the fall Oxford transforms into what looks and feels like a town from a Christmas Hallmark movie.The Square is covered in lights and decorations, and light poles are decorated with wreaths. Shop windows on the Square are decorated with all things fall from pumpkins to wreaths.

Houses around town are decorated as well giving Oxford the small town feel that is even more welcoming than always.

Gratitude

People look forward to the holidays because it is often a time to relax, be with family and friends, and create memories while cherishing old ones.

For many people this time of year is often very nostalgic. The Christmas lights, music, scents of gingerbread cookies baking in the oven, and smell of Christmas trees transport people back to their childhood.

Many are left remembering themselves at five years old looking for their elf on the shelf,  sitting at their grandparents house, and waking up bright and early on Christmas morning.

When you are grateful, the season is all the more meaningful as people can be motivated to pay the thanksgiving forward. This reflection leaves people thinking about the blessings in their lives.

Gratitude encourages people to slow down and enjoy the moment while they appreciate the traditions that have been passed down over the years.