Why Fall Is The Only Worthwhile Season

Call me #basic as much as you want, but fall is the best season. While haters will complain about boots and shorter days, I am here to tell you one thing and one thing only: Fall is the only worthwhile season. And it's not in spite of the colder weather — it's because of that slight bite in the air and all of the splendor that it brings along with it.

Yes, forget those dog days of summer. Winter is a joke. Spring, to be frank, barely exists. So, why is fall the only season I thrive in? Well...

1. The weather.
Fall may have a slight chill in the air, — and that's one of the best things about it. The idyllic autumn weather finally means that you can go outside and live your dang life without slathering on sunscreen and sweating buckets. Honestly, that's reason enough for fall to be the only season that's worthwhile, but let's elaborate.

Sure, beaches in the summer and skiing in winter are fine and good, but nothing beats a hike outside in the fall as you gawk at the absolute beauty of red, gold and orange leaves. Fall foliage turns the Earth into an artistic masterpiece, and you're not going to get that without shorter days and cooler temperatures.

Fall weather also opens up unlimited wardrobe potential. Want to wear a dress and tights? You can! Want to rock a tank top and shorts? You can still do that, just throw on a light sweater. While summertime means wearing as few clothes as possible and wintertime means bundling up so you don't die of frostbite, fall (and, to a lesser extent, spring) allows you to truly express your style without fear of heat exhaustion of freezing your buns off.

2. The food.
Think about the bounty of fall produce. You have apples, squash, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and potatoes. And now that it's no longer approximately 100,000 degrees outside, you can finally actually turn on your oven! Think of all the roasted vegetables and sheet pan dinner opportunities. With cooler temperatures, I just can't wait to get home and cook fall foods at the end of the day. Yeah, fall even makes your workday go by faster and cooking less of a chore.

Fall also brings an onslaught of scrumptious seasonal treats. Yes, I am talking about pumpkin spice. And yes, I do think pumpkin spice lattes are an incredible beverage choice. Name a more comforting drink, I dare you. Oh, spiced apple cider? Yeah, that's a fall drink too. My love of pumpkin spice and other pumpkin-flavored foods (hello, pumpkin beer!) is well documented. There's just nothing wrong with the warming flavors of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

3. The holidays.
The best fall foods haven't even been mentioned yet, and that's because they are candy and turkey dinners. And you can really only eat those two items with reckless abandon during the autumn thanks to the iconic one-two punch of Halloween and Thanksgiving. Yes, fall brings these happy holidays into our lives at long last. And the wonders of Halloween and Thanksgiving make other seasonal holidays look like chumps. New Year's Eve? No thank you. Easter? I'm so bored. Fourth of July? America is great and all, but fireworks make my cat very scared, and I love him.

Halloween allows you to be who you truly are for one day and one day only. Are you really a black cat? A taco? Avril Lavigne circa "Sk8er Boi"? You can finally express that on October 31. Halloween also brings limited-edition candies like Reese's shaped like bats and pumpkins and glow-in-the-dark Hershey bars into our lives. You don't have to go trick-or-treating to snack like a queen while dressed like a queen to appreciate that.

Thanksgiving is also a seriously underrated holiday. Sure, you have to deal with family, but you also get to indulge your deepest desires by eating endless amounts of turkey with gravy. That doesn't even begin to account for the sides. Mountains of mashed potatoes and stuffing? Green bean casserole straight from the can? Cranberry sauce? Yes please. Oh, and don't forget your pumpkin pie.

Honestly, there are more reasons to be hyped up for fall, I've really only scratched the surface here. And if you don't believe me, just check out these other reasons fall is the best season.

Carolyn Menyes is the entertain editor at The Daily Meal. In addition to loving fall, she also loves craft beer, Disney and cats! Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.