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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Lifestyle
Aimee Levitt

Dog treats, deodorant, Spam: why does America sell 138,000 pumpkin spice things?

Starbucks Jason Fischer McCormick United States
illustration showing pringles, hummus, spam, cup noodles and toothpaste in pumpkin spice flavors
Increasingly unlikely products now offer pumpkin spice options. Illustration: Rita Liu/The Guardian

Pumpkin spice season, which officially began the last Tuesday of August when Starbucks released its fall drinks menu, is not the same as fall. It’s more about the idea of fall.

During pumpkin spice season, there are no cold rainy days, or uncomfortable family gatherings. Instead, all is crisp air, fuzzy sweaters, leaf piles, college football, bonfires, Taylor Swift albums and an overwhelming feeling of coziness. Scandinavians have hygge; Americans have pumpkin spice.

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