The pumpkin spice spectrum is a lot bigger than you think

Homemade pumpkin spice lattes help get to get into the holiday season. Photo by Precious Oweiss

By Lindsey Nguyen, Staff Writer

October is here and hotter than ever. The holiday season is beginning and many people love to show their spirit by getting into the festive mood. Before we can throw on a mask, eat sugary contents given by strangers and scare the living daylights out of 12 year olds, we have the first few weeks of fall. Many things can make it feel like fall whether it be pumpkins, candles, cableknit sweaters and everyone’s favorite: pumpkin spice! Please note the sarcasm. If you thought Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks was bad, just wait until you realize there’s so much more in the pumpkin spice world.

From pumpkin spice tortilla chips to pumpkin spice pasta, the possibilities just seem endless. And for every spirited person out there, it could be a dream come true. For other people, not so much. During the entire fall season, it is close to impossible to find an actual regular tasting coffee, gum and even chips. While companies that celebrate the holidays through seasonal foods are much appreciated, sometimes it’s a little too much. When the holidays roll in and I’m at a party with sparkling cider, I wouldn’t want my beverage to be spiced with pumpkin. The classics will always be classic, and not everything should be changed up just for the holiday season.

We all know that one special person that would go nuts for this time of year. I bet you can imagine their UGG boots clunking down the grocery aisles as they squat down in a sorority pose as they grab everything orange. It’s great that this time of year brings them this utter joy and we wouldn’t want to take it from them, but do they really need pumpkin spice salsa?

Autumn comes with a season full of colds and flus, but who really wants to choke on pumpkin spice cough drops? With sickness and germs in the air, you would want to clear the air around you and your house, but I’m pretty sure pumpkin spice air freshener won’t do trick. Have chapped lips and need to fix it for that soft plump lip look in your Instagram posts? Try pumpkin spiced chapstick.

It’s a pumpkin spice galore with twists and turns from pumpkin spice cereal to pumpkin spice jelly beans. The possibilities are endless and it’s not always the best thing. Stores, restaurants and more are being piled up with pumpkin spices. It’s crazy to imagine that there are that many items that have been spiced just for the month. Everyone goes crazy, but for different reasons. Some appreciate the beautiful, warm smells of pumpkin spice as they walk into their local coffee shop. Others, like me, get allergies. At the end of the day, or month, those pumpkin spice treats will be outdated and replaced with peppermint flavored items as the sleigh bells jingle and the tables will turn. Those pumpkin spiced breakfast bars won’t look as appealing as you start to grab those advent calendars. As you clear the counters decorated in orange wrappers and boxes into the trash and even some of your money you spent will go down with it. Suddenly, everything spiced won’t look so nice and the cycle starts over once more with bright reds and greens coming your way.