As I write this, it’s the first properly cold day of fall, and I’ve been making plans to mark the season the only proper way: watching the 2014 Patrick Hale animated miniseries Over the Garden Wall.
Over the Garden Wall tells the story of two brothers making a journey through a magical, crimson leafed forest that has more than a passing resemblance to New England. It’s funny, beautiful, and eerie, covering an autumnal spectrum between bright bountiful harvest and the sudden, dark chill of approaching winter.
I first watched the show six or seven years ago, and ever since, it’s become tradition to watch it again, ideally in one sitting, as the year starts to turn towards the dark. The first few years, I barely noticed I was doing it: its slowly become a deliberate ritual, something to anticipate and to plan out with friends.
We are used to marking our calendar with the rituals given to us: our academic or work obligations, religious practice, even birthdays. But thinking about how much I’m looking forward to reentering the dark woods of Over the Garden Wall makes me consider more about the rituals we make ourselves. I’m going to mark this change in the year with a mug of hot apple cider and some familiar autumnal adventures - what about you?