Anyone else hate the “ber” months?

[Chiavennasca]

September 1st tomorrow. I bloody hate the “ber” months. Clocks move. Cold and dark. Halloween, bonfire night & Xmas shoved down our throats at every turn.

I hate pumpkin flavoured stuff, I hate fireworks, I hate the word “autumnal.” I don’t want to get cosy with blankets and eat soup and light candles. I want to sit outside in the sun and eat salads and wear suncream.

I’m extra bitter this year because my mum died in June. Wake me up in 2026.

This post is just a rant hahaha, anyone else? Or am I alone in my end-of-year hatred?

September is ok.. not so keen on the rest though

Yes this. After early October we're just on a drawn out commercial Repeat of Halloween, bonfire night and Xmas, getting bigger and more soulless every year

Will miss the Summer.

I love the Ber months, they're the happiest time of year to me.

BUT, I am coming from a different perspective because I live in the tropics, so the days aren't cold, dark or miserable. Yes, it's darker earlier (5:45 p.m. in November vs 7:00 p.m. in June) but it's generally always 30 degrees and Christmas is a HUGE deal here which is great as I love it.

Culturally here, everyone cleans their houses inside out, put up new curtains, paint, decorate, there's parang music and traditional carols. And the FOOD...pastelles, Ponce de creme, ham, Christmas rice. It's sooo good! But more than anything, there's this really deep sense of community and togetherness. We're not big on gifts here at Christmas time...it's more about coming together and eating and drinking and being merry.

Christmas in Trinidad is like nothing else and because the build up starts in late September, I suppose that's why I love the Ber months.

And I also try to make my own traditions. Halloween isn't really a thing here but I love horror so I specifically read horror books and watch more horror movies in October. In December, I rewatch Nigellas Christmas cooking shows. In November, I decorate my work station with my 3 ft flocked tree with berries and twinkly lights and a nutcracker. I tend to cook fancier, more extravagant things than I usually would. It's about the anticipation and creating little rituals and small traditions to look forward to and savour.

I am a spring/summer person, I dont mind the BER months as I like Halloween, Bonfire night and Christmas. I hate Jan, Feb and March the most, dark , cold wet , always feel utterly miserable during the first few months of the year.

I love it when the air starts to get a bit crisper. Feel much more alive than when it's hot.

My birthday is within the ber months and I hear you loud and clear. All my children were born spring/summer.

I hate January, but February brings me hope. Just five more months.

So interesting to read everyone’s varied replies. I guess I just feel the latter months of the year are romanticised and never live up to what you see on tv or Instagram. It’s always the perfectly styled woman with the coat, the boots, the scarf, the crisp morning and the coffee in hand. In reality, who can afford a wardrobe for every season? I’ll still be wearing the same trainers, the same winter jacket (which is too hot for autumn but I don’t have an inbetween) and instead of crisp it’ll be muggy and throwing it down. Probably with a storm named Sheila or Barbara.

I like January because it’s my husbands birthday and our wedding anniversary so we usually have nice things in that month to look forward to

but the same thing applies to summer months surely ? All that expectation of relaxing on a beach in a swimming costume looking cool and collected or hosting the perfect garden party..When in reality people just get hot and bothered and irritable at noisy neighbours making a racket at all hours if it is hot or more likely we have weeks of endless rain and the whole thing is a washout.

A few years ago I bought, on a whim, this random little book for kids (for my kids although they took zero interest in it) which was a years almanac. It was brilliant! At the start of every month it told you a bit about the month, made some suggestions of nice things to do (outdoor related really), said what wildlife you might see, things you could do in the garden etc.
It made me really appreciate every month and not wish away the winter ones, plus look for the interesting signs of the seasons in the world around me.

I'm so sorry for your loss OP 😔 My dad's terminally ill, so I've got masses of empathy

To answer your question about the ber months though - I'm the opposite re the seasons. I absolutely love autumn and winter; and really struggle with summer! I've found the extremely long hot summer (with several heatwaves!) we've had this year, really hard work. I woke up in the middle of the night (got a cold type virus) and felt overjoyed when I realised September had arrived in the night! I just love autumn 🍁🍂🍄🍏🍎 - the colours, the lower sun, the wild fruit, the cooler temperature, the reduced social pressure etc.
However, I do understand that for some people the end of summer is hard, and I sympathise, as I often feel low when winter ends, so it's the same in reverse.

Take care OP

I dint give up anything, if you have to force yourself not to drink you might have a problem . It’s miserable enough

They are my favourite months -
September: back to school feeling
October/November: half term, Halloween, sometimes go to Italy in half term and eat nice food/visit people around All Saints day
December: Advent and Christmas

I'm in the middle. I like September, it's usually still quite mild. October is fine though I'm not a fan of Halloween. Don't like November, very dark, very wet and little to redeem it. December and Christmas are enjoyable but exhausting and with toddlers add in the winter colds which can do one! Hate January. Have a real dread of icy weather - worst thing about winter is having to drive or walk on sheet ice, ugh. I don't mind February - first crocuses, spring is around the corner, it's short, mornings are lighter and it's my birthday month.

I like crumbles and autumnal cooking and I like autumn clothing, tights and boots etc, but I always feel it's better in my head than the reality. Crunchy leaves are usually just damp and decaying!

September and October are often quite nice. November on the other hand I wouldn’t miss!

I think it’s terribly sad to live for just a few months of the year. I get it because I spent years doing it. Autumn and winter were full of trauma anniversaries.
Leaning in and embracing it were the only ways forward and now years on from that and I love all the seasons. Dreading it only makes it worse. Anticipating it as horrible only makes it worse too.

There's something lovely though about the flora and fauna taking a rest from the heady frantic days of Spring and Summer.

I love that BST is for 7 months of the year. Of now to buy the cheapest Christmas tree to replace the old one that fell apart after dismantling last year - it was 20 years old.

Also condolences for your loss @Chiavennasca 💐

I never minded winter as a child. I loved the back to school in September, the autumn Fair , Harvest Festival, Halloween, Bonfire Night etc. Proper snow days, power cuts, icy ponds you could walk on.

Now it’s just one dark, wet and chilly pre Christmas without any variation from October to January 1st. Followed by a one month of absence.

Head to the post office

To kick off the ‘bers I’m making my furst smoked red lentil and roasted red pepper soup.

it was 14 degrees this morning - for the first time in months my elderly cocker spontaneously broke into several joyful sprints. She’s happy for the cooler weather

January and February are the shit months, absolutely nothing to look forward to, no bank holidays until Easter, gyms are busy. January feels like the longest month ever.

I like the rest of the year. Don't mind rainy days, along as we get a break from them occasionally.

I see what you mean OP.
Autumn and Winter are very monotonous.
Most of us can only afford 1-2 warm/winter coats and probably wear weather appropriate shoes, and again the options are limited. So even if we wear a different outfit everyday, it is hidden under the coat and we walk out looking the same for months.
Summer (proper one like the one this year) offers so much more variety without spending lots of money. Different coloured tops, skirts, dresses, etc.

And don’t start me on the palaver of getting ready in winter.
In summer all you need is the undies, top+skirt/trousers or a dress, slip on some shoes/sandals, grab a cardi/brolly if in doubt and you are out of the door.
In winter it is the base layers, main layers, socks or tights (which are devil’s invention), shoes/boots which usually need fastening, then coat, gloves. Once you are out, you discover the car needs defrosting/demisting and you are tired even before leaving.
I am a November born but very much a spring/summer person. I hate the cold, the darkness, the rain. I would mind a short winter if it was snowy, but the dampness of UK winter is just unpleasant.
There is also so much more to do in summer without spending money or spending very little.

I think February is the worst month, despite being the shortest it seems to go on forever and by that point I am fed up of the cold and darkness. I like the run up to Christmas and I don’t really mind January.

Nope. Autumn is my favourite time of Year. The Autumn colours and cooler evenings. I love the the run up to Christmas. My DD is also Halloween mad, so she's happy. I hate Janaury and February with passion. It's cold, boring, everyones skint and there is nothing to look forward to for ages

I can just about tolerate autumn but by November I’m done. Supermarket mince pies in September are the final straw for me.