‘Why are people out here acting like September is fall?!’: Pumpkin spice season is already here

Starbucks has launched its fall menu already, and TikTok feeds are being flooded with #fallinspo. While some critics believe we’re wishing away summer, Meredith Clark speaks to experts about why fall seems to be arriving earlier than ever

Why we’re launching pumpkin spice season in the summer (iStock/The Independent)

Don’t be fooled by the pumpkin spice lattes being offered at your local coffee shop, or the Spirit Halloween store that magically opened in the previously abandoned lot down the street. It’s still summer – that is, at least for the next three weeks.

This year, it seems that fall has hard-launched earlier than ever before. Starbucks brought back its fall menu on August 22, two days earlier than last year. Target’s online store began to sell autumn decorations, like a 12-foot skeleton, as early as April. And TikTok feeds are already being flooded with fall fashion inspo.

For those of us who thrive in the colder months, the early transition from summer to fall is nothing short of exciting. This year, however, the premature acceptance of autumn has sparked outrage with people online, especially among those who are desperately clinging onto the final days of summer.

“Why are people out here acting like September is fall?! It is summer until the 22nd and it’s 90 degrees outside,” one frustrated user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“It is not a beautiful fall day, it is a beautiful late summer day. What you love is late summer. Check in with me in November when the sun is down by 4:45pm and takes the temp down 30 degrees with it and then tell me you love fall,” another person aptly pointed out.

And one blunt user simply declared: “Autumn people are so annoying. There’s still plenty of summer left. Your pumpkin a** has to wait.”

But according to online content creators, whose #cozy, #aesthetic fall-themed videos have already gone viral on TikTok and Instagram, celebrating autumn in the midst of summer is nothing new. If anything, it’s actually an age-old brand strategy.

Kristina, a 26-year-old content creator based in Dublin, Ireland, has gained more than 80,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram for her aesthetically pleasing and highly curated fall content. On August 1, when most people are lounging by the pool or getting a tan at the beach, Krechina decided to share a video of herself watching Gilmore Girls – an early 2000s comedy-drama series often synonymous with the fall months.

“Is it too early to start rewatching Gilmore Girls for [the] 1,032,717 time?” she wrote over the clip, which also featured dimly lit candles and a mug of coffee for the coziest of vibes. Her video went on to receive more than three million views and over 200,000 likes. For Kristina, ushering in autumn as early as August is key to receiving high engagement.

“The reason why I start posting at the beginning of August is for me, it’s important to be early to the trend. People who are looking for inspiration for the next season, they get this early inspiration from me and I get more engagement,” she told The Independent.

Her social media strategy is nothing different from what brands have also done year after year. Both in-person and online retailers promote Back to School sales in July, as well as Black Friday deals well before November. Starbucks reported that 10 percent of its sales come from the return of the pumpkin spice latte, its most popular seasonal beverage. And the National Retail Federation found that consumers in the US spent a record $12.2bn on Halloween goods in 2023, an increase of 69 percent compared to the previous year.

The earlier that brands and retailers promote their Halloween costumes, fall decor, or seasonal drinks, the more profit they’re able to gain. But now, it seems that the warm and cozy feelings we get from autumn can be measured by likes and reposts too.

“There’s a seasonal excitement and emotional significance that people often associate with autumn. The change of leaves, the cozy atmosphere leading up to the holiday season… it tends to evoke feelings of nostalgia and reflection, as it marks a time of transition,” said Monica Cwynar, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist with Thriveworks based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

According to Cwynar, the autumn season is often associated with new beginnings – leaves change color, students head back to school, football season commences. Unlike the heat and hustle of summer activities, autumn’s slower pace and quieter atmosphere can help incur introspection and contemplation.

“Autumn symbolizes a time of transition and change, both in nature and in our lives. Embracing the seasonal shift and adapting to new routines can be a way to cultivate resilience, flexibility, and a sense of renewal,” she said. “The visual spectacle of fall can bring joy and a sense of awe to people.”

Indeed, it’s the visual spectacle of fall that has captivated social media feeds. On TikTok, there’s a whopping 516,000 videos under the hashtag #fallvibes. Recent footage of falling leaves, pumpkin-printed sweaters, and iced pumpkin latte recipes have all gone viral just within the last few weeks since they were posted. “August 1st is the start of fall and no one can tell me different hehe,” read one caption, while another autumn enthusiast wrote: “Six Sundays until fall.”

For Elena Joyce – a content creator and photographer living in New York City – her viral, fall-themed clips are less driven by engagement and more by the inspiration she feels from the changing of the seasons.

“What I post is kind of a reflection of what I’m excited about,” she told The Independent. “I always love capturing the seasons here because I feel like when a new season starts, it’s always so inspiring and exciting. I think seeing New York in the fall is one of the prettiest things ever.”

The urge to “romanticize” our otherwise mundane lives has become one of the most repeated mantras on TikTok. Activities like watching a scary movie or baking cookies can be packaged online to look straight out of a rom-com, and fall easily lends itself to this phenomenon. When the season is so naturally pleasing – what with the changing of the leaves and the vibrant colors of autumn foliage – it’s no wonder that fall continues to go viral.

Of course, it’s important not to wish away the summer and enjoy every last bit of sunlight we can get, at least before the seasonal depression starts to kick in. But as the warmer months seemingly get muggier year after year (thanks, climate change), people shouldn’t be faulted for wanting at least some outdoor respite without their hair frizzing up from humidity.

As the age-old saying from F Scott Fitzgerald goes, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”

That, and Starbucks’ fall menu.