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As the first orange leaf drifts to the ground and you feel chilly enough to wear a jumper with your outfit, you might feel that autumn is on the way

There are hundreds of thousands of people across social media using the tag #codeorange, as spooky season lovers start to notice autumnal and Halloween themed decorations popping up in shops, sometimes at the same time as summer holiday essentials!

91�ȱ� Bitesize spoke to Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute; Skyler Mann, a content creator based in Nebraska, USA; and Danielle Sharpe, a content creator based in Somerset, UK, to find out more about ‘code orange’ and why people love this time of year so much.

What is the ‘code orange’ hashtag?

The hashtag #codeorange has been used on social media over the past few years to indicate the arrival of the autumn season in shops.

Leatrice, whose job involves understanding colour trends, has noticed how popular decorating for autumn has become. She told 91�ȱ� Bitesize over email: “There's a celebratory aspect to autumn that people are increasingly embracing, from decorations to fashion.”

Two of those people who embrace autumn with open arms are Skyler and Danielle. Skyler, who focuses on content to get people into the autumnal mood, said: “Code orange is that alert that Halloween and spooky vibes are making their way into the stores. Right now in the US we have pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin flavoured everything coming out. So for me, code orange is that first glimpse of Halloween.”

In the US, Halloween is widely celebrated so it’s no surprise that Skyler has seen decorations popping up in stores. Danielle, who loves the season and its associated nostalgia, has noticed a slow progression of the code orange trend in the UK. “In America, they focus a lot on the colour orange. When you’re in the UK and you walk in somewhere with Halloween decor, you see a lot of purples and blacks and greens. It’s not surprising you haven’t heard of the term until this year unless you are in the community and use the hashtags. It’s not as big here but it’s getting traction.”

So now you know what code orange is - let’s find out how you can make your space just that little bit more autumnal.

Make ghoul and mend

Although you might see a lot of items you want to buy, repurposing what you might find on your doorstep, or reimagining what you already have, could be better off for your pocket and the environment. Danielle has noticed a lot of overconsumption when it comes to this time of year. She recommended: “Go out looking for pine cones and put them in a bowl” or “switch out pictures for ones with autumnal images.”

Skyler agrees and suggests making a moodboard of what you would like your space to look like. She also said: “Use what you have already, that’s what I love, looking online for inspiration. You might look and realise that you already have the thing which you can use in a different way or in a different space and completely reimagine it.”

Want to be more eco-friendly this spooky season? Bitesize has you covered with our guide here.

The colour orange

When you look at the colour orange, how does it make you feel? The colour can be associated with feeling enthusiastic and happy.

Leatrice said: “We start to see the falling leaves, with the forest floor covered in a sea of orange tones. It's a dramatic and emphatic color change during that time of year. Orange is also associated with the harvest, particularly with orange squash and pumpkins. We always look to nature first to understand why people are drawn to specific colors at certain times. The abundance of orange in nature during autumn naturally influences people to incorporate it into their lives—whether in their wardrobes, home decor, or even the foods they enjoy.”

Not everybody will live near woods or trees but Leatrice says this doesn’t matter. She said: “You can still see those colors online and in fashion trends. This visual exposure influences people to adopt those colors, even if they don't experience the natural changes directly.”

So how can you incorporate the colour into your space? Skyler suggested a very handy tip: “You can just pull some of those autumn type colours, like if you have books that are more oranges and reds, maybe showcase them more.”

As the colour is so popular during this time of year, you can easily find orange pumpkins or leaves that you can decorate with. Danielle admitted that orange isn’t her favourite colour, but it ties in so well with the season. She said: “It’s like the perfect transitional colour, it still has a bit of warmth but you associate it with autumn.” Danielle loves going to her local pumpkin patch, she said: “I’ll go to a pumpkin patch and come home with a wheelbarrow of pumpkins and then I will end up decorating with them like a pumpkin display, wreath or garland.”

Something smells good!

Smell is a very strong sense, so strong that it can change how we feel. But what about the seasons, do they have a smell? You may associate the smell of cut grass with summer or pine with winter and when it comes to making your space more autumnal, smell is important here too.

Skyler pointed out: “One thing that everybody associates with fall is that scent, pumpkin. Whether it’s a pumpkin candle or just baking in your home and having those scents that are reminiscent of the fall season.”

Speaking of baking…

Spooky snacks

As well as making your space smell nice – unless you burn your treats – baking can be a great way to get ready for the cosy nights in and escape the predictable bad weather. Danielle enjoys displaying her autumnal bakes like she would any decoration, these just have the added bonus of being edible! She also said: “I tend to do an autumn trail mix in a glass pumpkin jar. I put in some autumnal treats like pretzels and chocolates. It doesn’t last long as I eat it!”

91�ȱ� Food has a range of hauntingly delicious bites that you can make at home and will hopefully smell as good as they look! Find out more here.

Movie night

It would be a shame to have all those terrifyingly good treats without a movie to watch, and both Danielle and Skyler agree that it’s the perfect way to prepare for autumn. Skyler enjoys watching the Disney film, Hocus Pocus, and said: “When I’m in the mood for fall, every night we will watch a movie or TV show, I want it to be a fall or Halloween type movie.”

Every autumn, Danielle watches Gilmore Girls and Nightmare Before Christmas, the latter offering the best of both worlds as it features both autumn and Christmas.

The most important question, when do you start decorating? For Skyler, she started putting her decorations out at the beginning of August whilst Danielle starts a little later in September.

This article was published in September 2024