Get the coats out of storage, order your pumpkin spice latte and start thinking about Hallowe’en: autumn is in full swing!

The Holidays

For food lovers, autumn may just be the best season of the year. When else does one holiday revolve around a lavish turkey dinner and the other is all about candy?

First up is Thanksgiving. Although our American neighbours celebrate it later, for most Canadians Thanksgiving is firmly associated with the changing colours of the trees, the first hint of winter and Hallowe’en decorations being set up around town. But why do we celebrate Thanksgiving when we do?

“Canadian Thanksgiving got its real start in 1859, when a group of Protestant clergy petitioned the government for a mid-week, church-centric holiday to celebrate the harvest.” Later, “in 1907, the railway companies convinced the Canadian government to move Thanksgiving from mid-week to Monday, essentially creating a whole new long weekend.”

It was not until 1957 that Thanksgiving found its current home on the second Monday of October, when Parliament made an official decree.

Just a few weeks after Thanksgiving, kids all over Canada dress up as the year’s most popular superheroes or classic monsters. All over town, groups of ghosts and ghouls travel through the cold crisp air in search of scares, excitement and, most importantly, candy. Shuffling along streets lined with houses decorated with skeletons, broomsticks, cobwebs and bathed in menacing orange light, it’s nearly impossible not get caught up in the spirit.

This is also the perfect time of year to treat yourself to some delicious candy or curl up on the couch to cower with a loved one while watching classic horror movies.

Did You Know?

• The gorgeous red, orange, and yellow pigments in fall foliage are actually there all year, just under the surface. The chemical that makes leaves green, chlorophyll, breaks down in the fall to reveal the plant’s hidden red, yellow, and orange hues.
• People used to wear Hallowe’en costumes to hide from ghosts! This Celtic tradition held that ghosts roamed the earth on Hallowe’en and that wearing a disguise would help you blend in.

Making the Most of Your Residence

One constant in the autumn season is entertaining family and friends. Whether it’s a big Thanksgiving meal, Hallowe’en costume party or your own special day, Parkland has you covered. Many of our campuses offer party or games rooms to host large events. Simply book the room in advance, inform a team member of your needs for the event and we will work with you to plan your get-together exactly to your specifications. Remember that these rooms are available year-round, so they come in handy during the winter holiday season as well!

Recipe

Apple Chips:

Try this delicious treat while entertaining this autumn.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 apples, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. sugar

DIRECTIONS

FOR OVEN

Preheat oven to 200°F.

1. Slice apples.
2. In a large bowl, toss apples with sugar and cinnamon.
3. Place a cooling rack onto a baking sheet. Lay apples slices onto the baking sheet so that no apples overlap. Cook for 2-3 hours, flipping apples halfway through.
4. Bake until dried out but still pliable. Apples will continue to crisp while cooling.

FOR AIR FRYER

1. In a large bowl, toss apples with cinnamon and sugar. Working in batches, place apples in a single layer in basket of air fryer (some overlap is okay).
2. Bake at 350° for about 12 minutes, flipping every 4 minutes.

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