Fun Facts about the Month of November

Fun facts about the month of November

• The name of the month of November comes from the Latin “novem”, meaning “nine”, because in the Roman calendar November was the ninth month of the year out of a total of ten months. With the adding of January and February at the beginning of the calendar after the Julian calendar reform, November became the eleventh month of the year, as we know it today. 

• Throughout history, November was associated in large parts of the world with the beginning of winter and people would spend the month storing food and preparing their homes to survive the cold season. The Anglo-Saxons called November ‘Blotmonath’ (“Blood month”) after the blood of slaughtered animals.

• Another fun fact about November is that in Australia, United States and Canada, this month is associated with Movember (moustache November), a movement that encourages men to grow a moustache as a symbol of celebrating men’s health and raise awareness regarding different male diseases.

• The zodiac signs for November are Scorpio (October 23 – November 21) and Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21).

Famous people born in November include Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, L. M. Montgomery, Boris Becker, Charles de Gaulle, Scarlett Johansson, Dale Carnegie, Martin Luther, Demi Moore, Kurt Vonnegut, Leonardo DiCaprio, Carlos Fuentes, John Galliano.

• The birthstones of November are the topaz and the citrine, both known for their calming energies, bringing warmth and fortune to those who wear them. The topaz in particular symbolizes friendship and it is said to cure madness and eliminate nightmares. Pure topaz is colorless but in its most common form ranges in color from brownish orange to yellow. This is why it is often mistaken for the citrine, another yellow colored stone. The citrine is supposed to spark imagination and symbolizes new beginnings.

• The traditional flower of the month of November is the chrysanthemum. Depending on their color, chrysanthemums have different meanings: the red ones symbolize love, the white ones stand for innocence, and the yellow ones denote unrequited love.

• Special holidays in November include All Saints’ Day (November 1st), All Souls’ Day (November 2nd), Thanksgiving (the forth Thursday in November), Universal Children’s Day (November 20th).