As of November 1st, spooky decorations have quickly come down. People boxed away their pumpkins and skeletons, wrapped up their orange and purple lights, and folded their costumes back into the depths of their closet, only to quickly replace them with lights of green and red, wreaths of faux snow, and grassy garlands.
Halloween was fun while it lasted; spooky songs, the scariest horror stories, and the sweetest candy, but now it’s time to move into the cold and chilly months. Each day bringing us closer to the best wintertime holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. When Halloween ends, the focus goes straight to food-making and gift-giving, but do people ever stop and think about how magical this transition into the best season of the year can be?
the ever-changing seasons.
It’s November, the eleventh month of 2026. It’s no doubt that as we get older, time seems to fly by fast, but this year in particular felt like a whirlwind of events, never stopping or slowing, but always moving forward at the speed of light. The atmosphere changes with a snap too, barren trees, darker skies, shorter days. Soon enough the leaves on the ground will be no more and the roads will be replaced with sparkly white snow. Change is a beautiful thing to embrace and to witness. It’s always so exciting seeing storefronts revamp for the season, and you start to find patterns of winter within TV ads too. It’s all the small changes that add up, signaling that a new season of life (literally) is just beginning.
Yes, there is that distinct change from winter to spring where flowers bloom and plants sprout, birds chirp and the days grow, but there’s something about the year moving towards the winter that feels so cozy and homey. We as people spend so much of our time awaiting the next big thing that we tend to forget or miss what happens within the waiting. This season, let’s stop and soak it all in. Taste the hearty foods, listen to the radio stations change overnight to Christmas songs, smell the cold crisp air, feel the newly purchased coats and sweaters within your closet and see the joy on the children’s faces as they anticipate making snow angels or meeting Santa.
A time for reflection.
November and December are also great times for reflection as they mark the end of the year and the slow beginning of the next one.
As the temperatures get colder and people have to stay in more, there is a lot of time to reflect on goals, relationships, your life, and even yourself. Take time for yourself to do some self care this winter such as setting music, lighting a candle and journaling. You can have your own spa day and take an everything shower, open up a new book, or go back to that old story you read years ago. Downtime is a great time for reflection and growth. Look back on what you accomplished within the year and try setting new goals for yourself for the next one.
This is also a perfect time to rekindle relationships or reach out to family members you don’t talk to that often. There is nothing wrong with sending that, “Hey, I’ve missed you! How are you doing?” text message. The shorter days create deeper and darker nights, maybe it’s time to adjust your sleep schedule. Analyze relationships, which ones do you want to cultivate more and which ones are ready to let go. As the seasons change, embrace that change within yourself.
the true magic.
Overall, the true magic lies within those soft moments, calling your parents, curling up with friends for a movie, and taking the time to make the chocolatiest hot cocoa. Slow down the pace this season, take the time to reflect and experience all the changes around you. There is so much joy in finding happiness in the smallest of moments instead of simply waiting for something deemed extravagant.
Christmas, Thanksgiving, and winter as a whole isn’t based on material things such as gifts or ornaments, it’s based on where the only moments that give you warmth are the moments with ones you love the most. Don’t let the immediate decorating keep you from witnessing something so sweet and special. Put the phone down, bundle up, and watch the leaves disappear. Tangible objects don’t last forever, but relationships and connections that are consistently tended to will stay.