the month of October is relatively boring compared to the other months; fall is approaching meaning cool, comfortable temperatures, there are 31 days just like 6 other months and the only nationally recognized holiday is Columbus Day, which to most is less of a 'holiday' and more of a free day off work (for those who are lucky). In reality, October all boils down to Halloween. As soon as you hear October, you visualize a pumpkin, maybe with a face carved in it. Halloween is just a fun day for all (unless you are a devout Christian, in which case it is a celebration of the devil and you have to give out candy in thanks to the 'harvest season' or God's triumph or some baloney). Kids dress up, grownups dress up (often skankily) and candy and shenanigans are had by all.
Of course the world of merchandise knows this, allowing many stores to start selling for the day of fun long before October even arrives. One of the easiest places to recognize this phenomena is in your local grocery store or pharmacy. As soon as you enter the store, the piles and piles of Halloween candy are presented to you like the inside of Scrooge McDuck's vault. It is hard to resist the allure of bright packaging and the promise of sugary treats within. The most attractive part of it all is the fact that Halloween candy is often 'fun-sized' or in miniature form, allowing you to believe that your future indulgences aren't nearly as bad as the full size candies.
Well, herein lies my issue. I heart candy. My house usually has a bowl of some sort of confection lying around and this fact is amplified come October. Sure, I may say the extra bag I pick up at the store is just in preparation for the soon to be visiting kids, but in reality, this precautionary bag is gone long before the end of the month. This replenishing may even happen more than once, as the temptation of those little candy bars within arms reach are too tempting to pass up. So, long story short, October becomes the month of consuming 5 bags of mini sized candy bars and all the sugar and calories that go along with it all, in the spirit of preparing for a day of fun (done for the kids, surely).
Knowing this, I also find it interesting that the following two months are recognized by large gorging events near the month's end. Maybe it is all designed to put that extra layer of fat on before the cold winter months arrive. I will just remember to say that to myself as rationalization for the next time I casually reach over and grab another Butterfinger (fun size of course).
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