Fall Reflection Questions Don’t Fall into Fall—Saunter Slowly into It
I am unsure how the sticky summer air turned into crisp autumn winds so quickly, before we were ready, but nonetheless, we had no choice but to wake from summer’s slumber. She ran away to another hemisphere, and we are now blessed and burdened with pumpkin flavors and the task of making yet another holiday season magical for our family. Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Halloween, Diwali, and Thanksgiving are right around the corner.
Where in the world does Halloween come from, anyway? Apparently, it’s another holiday with Irish roots. The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1, marking the end of the summer harvest and the beginning of frigid temperatures and dark days.
It’s no wonder their winter months were associated with death (hello, Seasonal Affective Disorder!?!). The Celts believed that the worlds of the dead and the living collided on New Year’s Eve. To protect themselves from evil spirits, they believed that bonfires and animal sacrifices would keep them safe. I think I prefer the December 31 version of New Year’s Eve, with balls dropping and people wearing silly glasses, instead.
Even more extreme than potentially burning themselves around these bombastic fires, the Celts wore animal heads and skins to trick evil spirits into believing they were harmless animals that weren’t looking for a tussle. Personally, I’d rather just deal with the evil spirits while warmly wrapped up like a mummy in my North Face gear.
Before the 7th century, the Roman Empire was hell-bent on conquering much of Celtic territory, driven by greed and the desire for political dominance. So, once again, an empire forced or encouraged a culture to change its behaviors, repackaging an existing tradition into something that felt more civilized to the Romans. Therefore, the Celts New Years traditions eventually evolved into All Saints’ Day, a day to honor previous (holy) followers of God.
You can watch a short video about the history of Halloween and lost Celtic traditions here.
Thanks for reading Kim's Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Let’s fast-forward to fall 2026, remembering that autumn offers more than just holidays. I’ve put together some reflection questions to help you look beyond carving pumpkins and creating costumes to ward off evil spirits.
Where would you like to explore before the weather gets too cold? For ideas to explore towns near you, I recommend these adventure cards.
How would you like to hold family gatherings? List some of your purposes for gathering. I just started reading Priya Parker’s Art of Gathering. She offers specific resources for private and work gatherings. If you want to up your personal gathering game, I highly suggest you check out her brilliantly led coaching session here.
How can you HELP others before hibernating? Can you sign up to do a craft at school parties, take a friend to the doctor, donate to Thanksgiving Drives, support a colleague, check on an elderly neighbor, call someone instead of texting them?
Volunteerism positively impacts people’s immune systems by decreasing cortisol and increasing oxytocin. Check out the medical proof here.
4. How can you learn more about Native Americans this Fall? I recommend the Gather documentary which explores resilience in the face of genocide and the erasure of cultural identity. This film highlights efforts to restore traditional agriculture, strengthen cultural identity across generations, and heal from trauma.
5. What can you explore or pursue now that will continue to inspire you throughout the winter?
Find something—or several activities—that interests or inspires you enough to carry into the colder months. Doing so may help alleviate some symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Sometimes, our brains move our bodies instead of the other way around.
6. Can you find and express gratitude for all the harvest you and your family have enjoyed since April?
How can you give back to the Earth that has provided so generously and intentionally for you this year?
7. How can you honor those who have passed away this year?
Sign up for an annual walk, donate to an organization, volunteer for a cause, listen to a playlist, do something they loved, share memories, create art, look at pictures, or serve others in their name. The sky is the limit—or maybe I should say that the sky is limitless.
Happy fall, friends! I hope you learn something new that inspires you to do something different this season.
LoveWell,
Kim