With Halloween over, it’s time to turn our attention towards the next major holiday:  Thanksgiving.  There are also a few smaller holidays celebrated in November, including events like the End of Daylight Savings and Election Day that you don’t want to forget.

• Día de los Muertos (October 31 to November 2): As we covered in our last holiday overview, the three-day celebration of Día de los Muertos began last night in many Latino communities and countries throughout the western hemisphere. To find out more about this holiday, see our articles written here and here.
• All Saint’s Day (November 1): This holiday was invented by the early Catholic church in order to combat the dark influences of the Celtic Halloween.  All Soul’s Day is now commonly used to remember members of the church that have died in the previous year, as well as to celebrate the lives of saints and martyrs.  The celebration of this holiday has been blended with the pre-Christian celebrations of the dead to create the modern Día de los Muertos in many Latin-American countries.
• All Soul’s Day (November 2): This Catholic holiday is dedicated to grave maintenance and prayers for the dead, especially those still in purgatory who had not yet been let into heaven.  In the past, indulgences were commonly paid on this day in order to help the souls of relatives whose destination was uncertain.  Many of this holiday’s traditions have also been incorporated into Día de los Muertos, with offerings of food given directly to the spirits taking the place of indulgences or food bribes given to priests or begging children.  For more information and advice on dealing with any unwelcome visitors following Halloween, see our articles here and here.
• Daylight Savings Time Ends (November 5): Starting at 2am, remember to set your clocks BACK one hour.  You don’t want to show up to your weird coworker’s dinner party any earlier than you have to.  For more information, see our article here.
• Election Day (November 7): There is no national election this year, but many cities, counties, and states have their own local elections every year at this time.  Be sure to check your local city hall website to see what’s coming up in your district, and remember that the best way to see a positive impact in your community is to vote locally!
• World Science Day for Peace (November 10): This is a great day to catch up on the latest scientific advancements!  This year it takes place on a Friday, which means plenty of time to visit a museum, planetarium, aquarium, or zoo over the weekend.  If you can’t find time to do that, skim Netflix or YouTube for the latest documentaries, or just spend some time reading a scientific article on a subject you’re interested in.
• Veteran’s Day (November 11): Veteran’s Day is used to honor all the men and women that have served in America’s armed forces.  For more information about what you can do to help veterans in your area and across the country, see our articles here and here.
• Universal Children’s Day (November 20): Started by the UN in 1954, Universal Children’s Day emphasizes the importance of caring for the younger generation to ensure a better tomorrow.  If you have children in your family, you can use this day to spend some time with them.  If you don’t, consider knitting garments for WorldVision’s Knit for Kids or Women4Women Knitting4Peace.  Or you could volunteer with a local organization like Big Brothers, Big Sisters; or donate diapers and other children’s supplies to a local homeless shelter or food pantry.
• Thanksgiving (November 23): During the Civil War, President Lincoln made Thanksgiving an official public holiday to help knit the country back together.  As Thanksgiving is most known for its food, most of our articles this month will be recipes.  For more recipes and advice on setting up a celebration for both your family and a spouse’s, see our articles here and here.
• Black Friday (November 24): Since 1952, Black Friday has been considered the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.  It’s also a popular day to go to the movies, especially if someone is hosting travelling family members that may be staying for several days.  For things to do on Black Friday and ideas for good deals to look for, see our articles here and here.
• Andrew’s Day (November 30): St. Andrew’s Day is an obscure Christian holiday that celebrates fishing and fishermen, manly included here because I want an excuse to go out for all-you-can-eat crab legs.  However, we at GRL do not recommend going fishing on November 30^th in Wisconsin.  By this point, the lakes may be too frozen for regular fishing, but not frozen enough for ice fishing.  For proper ice fishing, wait until January and February.

Happy November!