I mentioned in my post about British food that many restaurants had already decorated their reception areas for Christmas in early October! That surprised me. Do they not cherish autumn?
In Switzerland, this time of year is all about game season: comforting plates of venison with Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, wild mushrooms, Marroni (roasted chestnuts), and Spätzli, those soft Swiss egg noodles that soak up every bit of sauce.
In the UK, by contrast, autumn doesn’t seem to have much of a moment. You might spot a pumpkin soup or an apple crumble, but otherwise it’s business as usual. Fish and chips all year round, apparently.
To be honest, I think it’s a missed opportunity. Maybe it’s just me because I love fall. The colorful leaves, the pumpkin displays, the crisp air, the blessed disappearance of mosquitoes ;-) And, of course, the beginning of hockey season.
But hey, different countries, different customs. I was all the more delighted to rediscover those autumn traditions once I was back home.
To my pleasant surprise, though, the night after (not) shopping at the fashion outlet, we checked into a trusty chain hotel, a welcome change after our Fawlty Towers experiences, and look!
The entire lobby was decked out with Halloween decorations.
Now, one could argue that it’s not exactly appropriate for an American company to impose its customs on its UK branches. On the other hand, it’s often forgotten that Halloween isn’t an American invention at all, but a centuries-old Celtic tradition from Ireland and Scotland, only later adopted (and, let’s be honest, amplified) across the Atlantic.
So there we were: Cheerful pumpkin lanterns, cobwebs, spooky drink names, and, to top it all off, they had deliberately installed a terrifying sound in the elevator (sorry, lift). Oh wait, maybe they were just behind on maintenance. ;-)
Do you also feel that autumn flies by too quickly What foods or traditions make fall special for you?
It seems like fall is passing us by. Normally we go apple picking and to the pumpkin patch to choose our pumpkins for autumn displays. We haven’t done either of these things. I have decorated for fall and Halloween at our new townhouse so that’s atleast something. So glad you found some holiday spirit at that hotel
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your journey. As a Scot, I'm fascinated reading about your travels and the acceptance or rejections ( not in a harsh way ) of the celebrations. Always interesting to learn about ourselves and other cultures,
ReplyDeleteFall is my favorite season, apple picking, fall festivals, leaf peaking and cool weather! My favorite "fall" food is fresh apple crisp warm from the oven with whipped topping!
ReplyDeleteI do have an abundant supply of pumpkins and squashes to remind me of autumn harvest. So maybe I might try to bake a pumpkin pie. Today we had stew made with our own veggies. Warm an nourishing on a cool rainy fall day.
ReplyDeleteTamara, how fascinating that the UK was skipping Fall! In the US, Halloween spending (if I may conflate Fall and Halloween for a moment) now exceeds Christmas spending. Living in a desert city, Phoenix, I really miss the brilliant colors of the Fall leaves and their fragrance. We do get the snap of the chill in the air sometimes, and that's wonderful. I love pumpkin-sausage soup, all soups, apple pies and muffins, and anything flavored with sage. Thanks for raising this question!
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