1 In 3 People Agree That This Is The Best Season Of The Year

Every season has its lovely advantages and, therefore, its avid fans. Winter wonderlands evoke sparkling snow, cozy fireplaces, holiday cheer, and time with loved ones. Spring brings renewal, fresh green grass, the rebirth of leaves, flowers, soft rains, and a sigh of relief after the winter freeze. Then in comes summer with barbecues, salt-rimmed beverages, beach days, tan lines, and romantic sunsets. What's not to love about each of these? In fact, a recent poll of our readers, which reached 19,000 people nationwide, found that each of these seasons has a significant number of fans.

Winter earned 27 percent of the votes, summer walked away with 22 percent, and spring earned a respectable 15 percent. So while plenty of people love the chill of winter, the sun of summer, and the sweetness of spring, as you have probably guessed, its always-awesome Autumn that walked away with the top prize, earning 36 percent of the votes. 

Interestingly, this aligns with a larger national study that also showed fall to be the nation's favorite season (via YouGov). And why not? Beautiful leaves, crisp weather, cozy sweaters, Halloween, Thanksgiving ... Fall is fantastic! It's the season for pumpkin spice everything, and as much as folks love to make fun of those of us who cozy up to a fire with a pumpkin spice drink and fuzzy slippers while enjoying the scent of a festive fall candle, or who go apple-picking in flannel shirts and leggings and Ugg boots, at least this survey assures us we aren't alone!

And there may actually be psychological reason we love this season so much: Kathryn Lively, a sociology professor at Dartmouth University, explained to the Huffington Post that it's something we might have imprinted on our psyches in childhood. "As children, we come to associate fall with going back to school, new school supplies, seeing friends. It's exciting, for most. We still respond to this pattern that we experienced for eighteen years," she said.

So next time the calendar signals the start of Autumn, que up Hocus Pocus, order up your favorite spicy drink, and enjoy because you are in great company!