As Halloween decorations, costumes and candy fly to the clearance racks around the country while their arguably hotter sister, Christmas, decorates the window displays with red, white, green and sparkle, it is easy to look over November as a whole. However, as Thanksgiving accelerates closer in our calendars, I think it would be fun to collectively start celebrating a few other holidays in November as a way to get even more out of the holiday season! Here is a list of days this month I think you should add to your calendar to possibly start some new traditions within your family, blood or chosen.
- Nov. 1 – 2: Day of the Dead
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Otherwise known as Dia De Los Muertos, this is a Mexican holiday dedicated to reuniting the dead with the living. Families create “ofrendas” (offerings) to honor their departed family members. These altars are decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and the favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored. The offerings are believed to encourage visits from the land of the dead as the departed souls hear their prayers, smell their foods and join in the celebrations!
- Nov. 5: American Football Day
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With the NFL season and American football at its prime during the holidays, how much more American can you get than celebrating American Football Day? This day celebrates the US’ most popular sport and reminds us all that it’s mid-season and we should probably check on our fantasy teams!
- Nov. 9: Go to an Art Museum Day
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What is more romantic than the fall or winter activity of going to an art museum with a special someone on its national day of celebration? More than 30,000 museums around the world participate in this day of celebration, and each year has a different theme.
- Nov. 17: National Baklava Day
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While American and Americanized holidays litter our minds with the sweet anticipation of apple and pumpkin pies, why not celebrate a more internationally loved delicious treat, baklava? Baklava consists of sweet layers of texture and flavor between sheets of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and drizzled with syrup or honey. If you have never had the opportunity to try it, take a bite on this day!
- Nov. 26: Small Business Saturday
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After the much-anticipated drawl of Black Friday, we have Small Business Saturday, a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for our communities. I know it’s easy to get drawn into the allure of huge, multimillion-dollar companies and the dreams they advertise in nationwide commercials slots between some of our favorite shows, but it is also important to highlight the benefits of shopping with small businesses, especially during the holiday season!
- Nov. 29: Giving Tuesday
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To kick off the end of November and the beginning of December, we have the tenth annual Giving Tuesday, a movement that unleashes the true power of radical generosity around the world. Giving Tuesday was born and incubated at the 92nd Street Y and its Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact in New York City and is now an independent nonprofit and a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate and celebrate generosity. You can celebrate this holiday with acts of giving as simple as making someone smile or as substantial as giving something to those in need. Anything counts!
Here is a list of a few more holidays if you are in the mood for even more celebrations this year!