I love Autumn. Do you?

I was at a firework party on Saturday and enjoyed every minute of it. There was mulled wine and a hog roast; we were all given sparklers and trooped outside to “Ooh” and “Ah” over the multicoloured showers of sparks and exuberant explosions of light. The bangs and pops and smell of gunpowder were all part of it.

Our hostess had first checked with the neighbours to ensure everyone was okay with her letting off fireworks, and we had all agreed it was fine – even those neighbours with dogs and cats.

Of course, there are many people who hate fireworks. There are many pets who are disturbed by them. Our neighbour has a gun dog: he is not bothered at all. My cats were bored by the whole thing, but that is not the case with many animals.

And what about Halloween? Again, I love it. I decorate the whole house with cobwebs. Outside I have pumpkins, a blow-up ghost and a life-size skeleton. I play atmospheric music and put up green and purple lights. Next year, I am thinking of getting a smoke machine, putting it into a large cauldron and making a witch to stir it. I love greeting all the small children who come to the door, braving the large spider hanging over the knocker. This year, I was dressed as Miss Havisham, and had the satisfaction of hearing many parents say that mine was the best dressed house in the neighbourhood.

And, again, I know many people hate Halloween, for all sorts of very good reasons. They keep their house lights off and pretend they’re not at home to trick or treaters.

I’m not a Hindu, but I love to celebrate Diwali too. The festival of lights, when good overcomes evil, is an excellent time.

There are Harvest Festivals, and the spicy scent in the air as the golden leaves come tumbling down to pile up against tree trunks like hoards of gold guarded by bare limbed tree dragons. I love it all!

And then there’s Christmas to look forward to!

But, and it’s a big but, the days are getting darker, the nights longer and the temperatures colder. Some people suffer from depression as the light goes. I have a friend with ME who took the brave decision to move to Tenerife, where the days are the same twelve hours long all year around, and the temperatures are always warm. She found her condition was so much worse in winter that it was the only sensible thing to do. Thank goodness she was in a position where she could do that.

For some of us, autumn and winter are seasons that make us grit our teeth and determine to somehow survive through it. Daylight lamps can help with some kinds of Seasonal Affective Disorder, although they don’t work for everyone.

What about you? Do you love autumn and all the festivals, or does the dark and cold fill you with dread?

Mary

A Moodscope member