September
September has come and chopped the tail right off of summer. A clean, cauterized slice that seems to have robbed us of the last lingering warm, still days before autumn sets in. On September 1st it started raining and it’s rained every day since. The wind is racing through the crooked streets and pushing the blankets of clouds through the sky. The temperature has dropped by about 20°F and I’ve had to put a sweatshirt on once or twice to go shopping.
The change is welcome, I suppose, or at least it always used to be for me in Pittsburgh. I loved the fall season and the tapestry of changing leaves, the smell of woodsmoke in the air, the excitement of Halloween and the cozy comfort of Thanksgiving. I’m not a huge fan of cold and snow but September and half of October was usually right about where I liked to be. Jeans and sweatshirt weather, maybe with a light jacket on top.
In Belgium, on the other hand, September and October mean rain, rain, more rain, and oh, yeah, did I mention rain? And since Flanders is industrialized and flat, the symphony of colors from trees dropping into hibernation never really occurs. The leaves end up gray and sopping in the gutters instead. There is a half assed commercialized attempt to have Halloween, but it falls pretty flat and obviously Thanksgiving doesn’t exist (unless my mommy is here visiting), so really, I find myself feeling quite the opposite when it comes to the autumn season.
More often than not I find myself staring through a rain blurred window chanting “rain, rain, go away…” in my head for basically the entire span of September and October. If you don’t believe me, go ask Goofball. She’s Belgian and hates the fall season here even more than I do! But anyway, moving on, there is a silver lining to the giant raincloud that is the fall in Belgium: Christmas!!!!
I love the Christmas season, but in Pittsburgh it was always sort of a conflicted love. The lights and foods and smells, the trees and decorations and colors and music; I love it! But the freezing cold and snow? Haaaaate it. The commercialization and advertisements and stories of parents lined up at Walmart at 3 am and trampling the elderly just to get to a certain type of video game or elmo doll first? Hideous! For as much as I adore so many of the aspects of Christmas in the States, the adoration is nearly balanced by the repugnancy of American consumerism at it’s peak.
But Belgium? Belgium has pretty much fixed most of that. Here in Western Europe, or at least parts of it, they celebrate Sinterklaas and in Belgium, it’s celebrated on December 6. No decorating or marketing can be done for Christmas until after Sinterklaas, so the anticipation actually gets to build here, as opposed to Stateside where you want to hit Nat King Cole with a flaming bag of chestnuts by the middle of November because yes, they have been playing Christmas music on the radio since the day after Halloween and it will.not.stop. until New Years Eve. And the stores? Hah! We’re in Europe baby! Ain’t no way stores are opening before sunrise just so procrastinators can get their shopping done. Most toy stores will be open on Sundays in December, but that’s about it. People either buy their gifts when they can or they blame Santa for carelessly knocking the X-Box little Wim was wishing for off the sleigh mid-flight. No trampling the elderly here…especially not when part of everyone’s salary goes to paying for their medical care. Oh, and both winters I’ve been here it has snowed a total of 5 times. Combined. In two winters. So that whole aversion to snow and cold thing? Not even a third as bad as I had it in Pittsburgh.
But that’s not all! Here every town has a Kerstmarkt! Woohoo! Outdoor stalls with all sorts of different clothing and jewelry and crafts and books and toys and food and my favorite: glühwein! I love, love, looove Christmas in Belgium!
And I’m a “count downer”. I’m always counting down till the next big…whatever. For example, it’s 3 weeks till CB and I have a wedding to go to for one of his coworkers. It’s 8 weeks until I get to go home for my little sister’s wedding* (and Halloween! Squeee!). Sadly after that there’s a big gaping maw until Christmas, but that’s okay! Visions of the Kerstmarkt dancing in my head will hopefully get me through November and most of December, and then after that it’s about 6 months till the wedding…and…
I think I’ll stop counting for now.
* No, I don’t have a secret sister I never mentioned. I’m in a sorority and I have a “little sister” from there. And obviously I have good taste in little sisters cause her wedding is on Halloween, cause she’s awesome like that.
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Aaaah, it’s good to read you love at least something about Belgium! ROFL!! But I do think you get a lot more rain and a lot less color on the trees where you are? Okay, the last couple of days have been windy and a lot chillier than Summer, but still. There has been a blue sky each and every day here. And I KNOW, because I’m very allergic to grey! Hugs. I loved reading this post!
the chesnet trees are turning? No? Not good enough? I can’t compare with pittsburg
but yes yes yes I hate autumn because it prevents me to do all summery things I love so much.
oh it rains most in July and second most in August though if you learn about our climate. Really it’s true! considerably more. But usually in bigger quantities when it rains (eg an impressive down pour during a thunderstorm as opposed to a long drizzly day) and if the rain gets alternated with hot days you don’t notice as much in the summer.
Oh and do forgive us for our crappy Halloween. It only showed up here during the last 10 years and I think we shouldn’t even attempt to copy a foreign holiday. It’s not ours and we suck in our half imitation.
glad you enjoy our winters ! :p
I’m a counter, too. It helps, doesn’t it?
What a great series of descriptions…I love the way you write! And of course, one of those snow days was the day after we arrived in Gent! I mean, I had to bring a piece of Pittsburgh with me, didn’t I?? ;P
You need to experience an Aussie Christmas.
Stinking hot.
The busiest and most exciting time of the year starts on Thursday. It’s birthday season here!
I’m sorry things are bleak there weather wise… We finally have summer here in Wisconsin. Seriously. We didn’t have 80 degree weather until mid-August. It was crazy. Of course, now we need some cool nights and rain for the apples and pumpkins and we’re not getting them.
I like how you do Christmas there, though. I’d love it if I didn’t have to deal with the holidays before December. I hate seeing Christmas decorations with the Halloween costumes. Hate it. I’ll be swinging that bag of flaming chestnuts right with you.
I am so excited about my first Belgian Christmas. In the UK it’s similar to the states and I’m really looking forward to the more old fashioned style here.
I want to come to Belgium. I’m soooo tired of summer. And we were having breakfast in Cracker Barrel today, September SEVENTH, and guess what? They had Christmas decorations up for sale. I’m not even joking.