Christian Girl Autumn Is in Peril

Each October, Caitlin Covington posts a catalogue of photos, usually shot in Vermont, that epitomize the internet’s idea of “fall”: pumpkins, golden leaves, and cinnamon buns.
Photo: @cmcoving via Instagram

Christian Girl Autumn mascot Caitlin Covington is falling off this year. Or at least, that’s what she’s said. Covington appeared to cry in an August 19 TikTok, telling her followers, “I’m not going to be able to post fall videos this year. It’s just a lot of pressure to make each video better than the last, to make each fall trip better, and I just really need a break this year,” she said. In the caption, she wrote, “This is the hardest post I’ve ever had to make,” but added that she’ll “post another update soon…” Could we still be getting leaf content after all?

Covington first went viral as the face of fall when online personality Blizzy McGuire coined the term “Christian Girl Autumn” in a 2019 post accompanying a photo of Covington. “Hot Girl Summer is coming to an end, get ready for Christian Girl Autumn,” McGuire originally posted on a since-deleted profile. Since then, Covington has become like Mariah Carey or the Easter Bunny — a perennial figure heralding the changing of the seasons. Each October, she posts a slew of photos, usually taken in Vermont, that epitomize the internet’s idea of “fall.” Pumpkins, golden leaves, and cinnamon buns are all part of the aesthetic, as is a seemingly endless supply of chunky sweaters. Her popularity has led to profiles in the New York Times, Nylon, and Business Insider. If she doesn’t post for the season, the internet’s favorite signpost for pre-Halloween time will be gone. The terminally online won’t even know the seasons have changed!

Luckily, we still have other fall favorites to be excited about. The Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to Starbucks on August 26; leaf-peeping across much of New England is expected to peak on or before October 11, per The Old Farmer’s Almanac; and awards season will begin on October 28, with the Gotham Award nominations. Still, we’re not yet convinced it’s a Covington-less season. How can she resist the call of UGGs, warm spices, and piles upon piles of raked leaves?