Five Fall-o-Favorite Festivities!

Ringing in the fall season is a cult classic, a favorite limited-time drink that has made its way back into the hands of thousands of Pumpkin-spice lovers across the country. Since 2003 when the PSL was market tested in 100 stores in Vancouver and Washington, D.C., it has been essential to Starbucks’ fall seasonal lineup. A genuinely iconic drink, encompassing all autumnal nostalgia into a single sip.

Did you know?

• The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe has been unchanged for 11 years.

• One of the original ideas for the name was “Fall Harvest Latte.”

• “PSL” was the original beverage code for Pumpkin Spice Latte written by baristas on cups, and soon became the drink’s nickname.

• Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is now available in nearly 50 countries throughout the Americas and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) regions.

Another traditional fall festivity that comes with the spooky season is carving jack-o-lanterns! Whether you take it seriously and make a masterpiece, or do it for fun with friends and family to light the way for trick-or-treaters, it is undeniable to say that Halloween isn’t complete without whipping out a personalized masterpiece onto an unsuspecting pumpkin.

The history behind carving pumpkins is quite interesting!

For those who don’t know, the origin of the beloved fall tradition of jack-o-lantern carving has Irish roots. In Ireland, people carved monstrous faces into turnips to scare away the spirit of Jack, a wandering soul bound to walk the Earth for eternity as a punishment for his selfish misdeeds. However, upon immigrating to what we know today as the United States, the tradition of carving pumpkins (rather than turnips) came about due to pumpkins being native to the region, and ready for harvest during fall.

Yet another fall and Halloween classic, a haunted house is perfect as a heart-racing, thrilling hangout. The history of the haunted house dates back to the 19th century when it modestly began as “house-to-house” mazes of sorts, with kids going through the neighborhood’s basements as a spooky surprise. 

However, the idea of a haunted house changed in 1969 when Walt Disney released the Haunted Mansion, “The attraction, which was designed in the style of the Evergreen House and the Winchester Mystery House, quickly became a success. In a single day shortly after its debut, more than 82,000 people passed through the Haunted Mansion. The attraction's centerpiece is the Grand Hall, a 90-foot-long ballroom sequence of dancing ghouls at a birthday party. Disney brought to scene to life through an exceptionally complex series of illusions known as Pepper's ghost, which use refracted light to project and shape ethereal images” (Smithsonian). A cult-classic attraction that has become a fall favorite for Disney fans, for sure!

The classic fall hayrides are essentially a relaxing, scenic activity, consisting of a recreational ride in a wagon or cart pulled by a tractor, horses, or a truck, which has been loaded with hay or straw for comfortable seating. Throughout history, hayrides have been used in various celebratory activities, but most notably the fall or autumnal harvest.

Personally, I LOVE a good hayride! 

If you live on O’ahu, during the fall, Aloun Farms has the biggest pumpkin festival on the island, with its 3,000-acre farm producing up to 36,000 pumpkins a year, which is about 90% of all the pumpkins in the state! This festive fall-themed pumpkin festival is celebrated every weekend in October, so be sure to check it out if you get the chance!

If you don’t live on O’ahu, we really recommend checking out loved, local businesses and supporting them as well. Fall is a big season for farmers, so supporting them would be a big help!

If you’re looking for a more lowkey, chill activity to do with friends the fall, apple picking is a great option! Spending time with nature while also supporting your area’s local farms is a great way to take in the season.

Did you know that apples were first introduced to the Americas in the 16th century? 

The first apple trees in North America grew from seeds brought by the French. It is not known if the settlers of Jamestown had apple trees, but the Pilgrims who settled in, what is now, Massachusetts in 1620 brought young apple trees from England and planted seedling orchards throughout New England.

Apples were eaten in many ways: fresh, fried, stewed, baked, made into cider, vinegar, and brandy, dried in the sun or in a heated dry house, and made into preserves and apple butter. If apples weren’t suitable for human consumption, the leftovers were given to livestock. So resourceful, especially with fall coming right before the dreaded winter!