Every November, it’s time to begin preparation for the winter months, whether that means pulling out your winter coat, adding another blanket to your bed, or searching for the perfect pumpkin pie recipe.
HOLIDAYS THAT TAKE PLACE IN NOVEMBER
November also holds some of the most important times of the year: elections in the US, Thanksgiving, Daylight Saving Time … Black Friday. OK, some of those aren’t that important, but there is a lot going on during this shorter month (November has 30 days).
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The Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, is often celebrated in November (although it may fall in October, according to the Hindu lunar calendar). Veteran’s Day is observed on November 11 and honors veterans and those who have served in the armed forces. (Like many of us, you may be wondering exactly why the apostrophe is placed where it is—and why Presidents’ Day doesn’t follow the same standard!)
The name November, however, follows the same pattern as the months before it, September and October, which take their names from their original numerical position in the calendar year.
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SO WHAT DOES NOVEMBER MEAN?
November derives from the Latin root novem- meaning “nine,” because in the Roman calendar there were only 10 months in the year, and November was indeed the ninth month. The word November was first recorded before the year 1000.
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For many English speakers, November marks the point in the year when the cold begins to set in. This association is no doubt why November’s adjectival form, Novemberish, means “dreary,” and why the month’s original name in Old English was Blōtmōnað, literally “blood-month.” Wait, blood month?
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Get ready for some gory history: November was the month of heavy animal sacrifice, when the early Saxons would stock up on food for the winter. Today, Blōtmōnað might still be a relevant term—particularly during the weeks leading up to that turkey-filled Thanksgiving dinner.
From Dictionary.com
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