Fall is a glorious time. It is a time of transition that evokes all sorts of emotions. The seasonal foods. The changing weather. The fall themed festivities. The sporting events. 

These events are what make fall special. The many elements of fall allow one to participate in a variety of memorable moments. Ones to look back on and cherish as the year progresses and the seasons change. 

The seasonal holidays prompt us to practice gratitude as we gather with our friends and family to either eat a delicious meal or dress up in costume. The cooler weather and the impending flu season remind us to be thankful for our health (especially this year), and encourage us to bundle up in our favorite coats, scarves, gloves, and hats. The seasonal festivities excite us and create opportunities for fruitful connections to be made. The sporting events bring us together, cheering for our favorite teams, tailgating and sharing team-themed foods. 

Our Bellarmine community feels strongly about the fall season. Though the question of which aspect of the fall season is the best, is up for debate, and when asked that very question in an anonymous survey, our Lions had a lot to say. 

Lions were asked whether their favorite aspect of the fall season is the seasonal food, the weather, the festivities, the sports, or other, and 18.7% of people said their favorite part of fall is the food, 33.3% of people said their favorite part of fall is the weather, 27.4% of people said their favorite part of fall is the festivities, 16.3% of people said their favorite part of fall is the sports, and 4.3% of people said other. 

For those who responded with “other,” we asked them to elaborate, and wow did they have a lot to say! Several respondents said that they couldn’t choose, they enjoy all aspects of the fall season, the food, the weather, the festivities, and the sports. Some said their favorite part of the fall season are the limited edition games and events. Others said the tree leaves and the clothes are their favorite aspect of fall. And one person in particular felt called to elaborate extensively on their love for the fall season: “I love the overall vibe that the fall season gives off. I love the leaves and pumpkin patches with corn mazes. I love pumpkin carving late at night. And of course going out on Halloween and hanging out with friends. Also scary movies of course.” 

Now, for those that said their favorite part of fall is the food, we asked them a follow up question, probing them to choose what fall themed food is their favorite. Given the options of, “Anything apple related. Apple pie, caramel apples, etc.” “Anything pumpkin related. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread/muffins etc.” “Warming soups and stews,” or, “The Thanksgiving meal,” 15.6% of people said their favorite fall themed food is any apple related. 34.4% of people said anything pumpkin related is their favorite fall food. 19.4% of people said their favorite fall themed foods are warming soups and stews. And 30.2% of people said their favorite fall themed food is the Thanksgiving meal. 

For those that said their favorite aspect of the fall season is the weather, we asked them to choose which of the weather patterns in fall that they enjoy the most. The most common weather patterns in Washington in the fall are, “rainy days,” “sunny, but cold days,” “cloudy and cold days,” and “the changing of leaf color.” 31.8% of people said they enjoy the rainy days in the fall season the most. 23.6% of people said the sunny, but cold days in the fall season bring them the most joy. 15.3% of people said the cloudy and cold days of the fall season are their favorite weather pattern. And 29.3% of people said that the changing of leaf color is their favorite part of the weather patterns in the fall time.

For the fall festivity lovers, we asked them to follow up on which fall festivities are their favorite. The fall festivities listed were, Halloween, Thanksgiving, going to pumpkin patches, apple picking, Friday Night Lights on Memorial Field at Bellarmine, and carving pumpkins. 42.8% of people said Halloween is their favorite fall festivity. 20% of people said Thanksgiving is their favorite festivity of the fall season. 15.2% of people said that going to pumpkin patches is their favorite fall festivity. No one said apple picking is their favorite fall festivity. 17.9% of people said Friday Night Lights is their favorite festivity of the fall season. And no one said that carving pumpkins is their favorite fall festivity. 

Lastly, those that said their favorite part of fall is the sports, were asked which fall sport is their favorite overall. Given the options of football, soccer, cross country, golf, volleyball, and tennis, 48.1% of people said football is their favorite fall sport, 13% of people said soccer is their favorite fall sport, 11.1% of people said cross country is their favorite fall sport, no one said golf is their favorite sport of the fall season, 15.7% of people said volleyball is their favorite fall sport, and 8.3% of people said tennis is their favorite fall sport. 

The various aspects of fall are held close to the hearts of many. The seasonal food, the weather, the festivities, and the sports hold profound value for our Bellarmine community. Fall, plainly stated, is a special time with much to offer. Certainly, the excited debate over what aspect of fall is superior is a compelling one.