November Days and Commemorations
Native American heritage has been celebrated in some form during November since 1986, when Pres. Reagan signed a proclamation designating American Indian Heritage Week. In 1990, Pres. George H.W. Bush signed a joint resolution designating the whole month to the topic. Similar proclamations have been made each year since 1994. It is now considered a given with or without a presidential proclamation.
To the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe people of the Upper Midwest of the US and Canada, November brings the Freezing-over Moon.
The names we use for the last four months of the year are simply Latin ordinals, selected when the first month of the year was March and not changed after Julius Caesar switched it to January. Hence, September was the seventh month, October the eighth, November the ninth, and December the tenth.
The Anglo-Saxons were a bit more colorful, calling this Blotmonath, meaning, literally, “blood month,” probably referring to the butchering of animals, especially those not expected to make it through the winter. That, or animal sacrifices. Or both, according to the Venerable Bede, the eighth century monk-scholar based in northern England.
Sat., 1–Sun., 2. Día de los Muertos is a celebration of dead ancestors observed by people of Mexican heritage. On the premise that ancestors return to join the living in a kind of reunion, it is a joyful celebration. In some Mexican towns, they have festivals with picnics and live music at the local cemetery. A similar event in Haiti is called Fet Gede.
All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2) are minor Christian holidays to remember and honor the saints and all Christians no longer living. It’s mostly observed during the Sunday service nearest the date.
Sun., 2. Standard Time resumes in the US and Canada—turn clocks back one hour.
Mon., Nov. 3. Panama celebrates Separation Day, which marks when, in 1903, Panama broke away from Columbia to become an independent nation. The move, which was aided (and encouraged) by the US, was partially in response to Columbia’s opposition to the US building the Panama Canal—but they had other issues with Colombia as well. After becoming independent, Panama signed a treaty allowing the US to resume construction. Panama’s motto, Pro Mundi Beneficio (‘For the benefit of the world’), appears on the country’s coat of arms. In 1977, Pres. Jimmy Carter signed treaties that led to Panama gradually assuming control over the canal by 1999.
Tue., 4. US municipal elections. Many cities, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, are holding elections for mayor and other city offices today. You can find a link to your local election information on Ballotpedia.
Guy Fawkes Day in the UK is also known as bonfire night.
Sun., 9. Night of Broken Glass Remembrance and Fall of the Berlin Wall are observances but not official holidays in Germany.
Remembrance Sunday in the UK honors those who died in wars.
People in Luxembourg celebrating the first armistice day in 1918, from The History Press
Tue., 11. Armistice Day commemorates the events of November 11, 1918, when Marshal Foch (for the Allies) and Matthias Erzberger (for Germany) met in a railway carriage near the town of Compiègne, France, and signed an armistice treaty officially ending the Great War (WWI) on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Countries in Europe and North America celebrated the day as an end to war, believing that all boundaries and disputes had been settled.
In 1921, an unidentified US soldier who died in the war was given a ceremonial burial on Nov. 11 at what is now known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The date was officially recognized by Congress in 1926 and given the name Armistice Day. It became an official US holiday in 1938.
After WWII, it was felt that the holiday should honor all veterans, and in 1954, Pres. Eisenhower signed a bill changing the name to Veterans Day.
Martinmas honors St. Martin of Tours, patron of beggars, and was traditionally associated with certain customs marking the transition from fall to winter.
Sat., 15. The Nativity Fast is the six-week period leading up to Christmas for Orthodox Christians who follow the new calendar and celebrate on Dec. 25. Akin to Lent, and more consistent with the old (pre-19th century) traditions in Protestant and Catholic churches, it is a period of limited fasting and spiritual preparation for commemorating the birth of Jesus. For old-calendar Orthodox, the observance begins Nov. 28.
Mon., 17. Revolution Day Memorial celebrates Mexico’s 10-year revolution that began Nov. 20, 1910, to overthrow dictator José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori. The public holiday falls on the third Monday in November.
Sun., 23. Fibonacci Day celebrates the first four digits of the number sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, … ) named for the 13th century Italian mathematician who introduced it to the West. Known in India for hundreds of years before then, the sequence and the “golden ratio” it contains (1:1.6) are often found in nature and art.
Thu., 27. Thanksgiving in the US.
Fri., 28. Panama's Independence Day marks when, in 1821, Panama joined Colombia in order to break free of Spanish rule. On Nov. 3, 1903, they separated from Colombia to become fully independent, as described above.
Winter Landscape with Skaters, by Hendrick Avercamp. From Wikimedia Commons.
The day after Thanksgiving is a holiday with various names in 24 US states. None of them call it Black Friday. Independent businesses promote shopping locally on what they call Plaid Friday, and anti-consumerists promote the day (and, for some, the whole season) as Buy Nothing Day. In 2015, outdoor gear co-op REI launched Opt Outside, closed all their stores including online, and gave their employees paid time off. They have continued the practice ever since, with a page on their website promoting various outdoor activities.
Sun., 30. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, fisherman, evangelists, and golfers, In Scotland, it’s an official holiday observed on Mon., Dec. 1.
Advent is celebrated by churches beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, often with a festival known as the “Hanging of the Greens,” in which people decorate their church for the holidays. The secular observance of Advent always begins on Dec. 1.
