November Holidays
If you thought all the spooky holidays were over, you'd be dead wrong! November starts off with the
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) - November 1st
You might think that the Day of the Dead sounds like a creepy day all about death and people cloaked in black, but you'd be wrong. The Mexican holiday has been celebrated for thousands of years and continues to be one of the bigger festivals of the year. Dia de los Muertos translates to Day of the Dead and is a day to celebrate the lives of lost loved ones. It's also a celebration of the circle of life.
Guy Fawkes Day - November 5th
November 5th marks the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, a conspiracy led by English Catholic soldier Guy Fawkes, to attempt to blow up the English Parliament and King James I in 1605. Guy Fawkes and his followers were angry that the King was making it illegal for Catholics to practice their religion, so they were going to blow up the Parliament building with King James in it. However, a letter was sent to Lord Monteagle that warned him of the fatal plot and the bombing was stopped. Now, every year on November 5th, the averted crisis is celebrated with bonfires and fireworks. At the time, Guy Fawkes was executed for treason - if he had attempted the same attack today, we would have called him a terrorist.
Veterans/Remembrance Day - November 11th
In 1918, World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The entire world celebrated. A truce was signed declaring the "war to end all wars" was finally over. The next year, on November 11th, the US called the day Armistice Day, in memory of all the men and women involved in WWI. Armistice Day eventually evolved into Veterans Day, after WWII, and is a day observed around the world to remember the people who were involved in various wars.
Thanksgiving - November 26th
The very first American Thanksgiving took place in 1621 and was a celebration by the English pilgrims that had landed in Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. It had been a long and trying trip over from England on their ship, the Mayflower, and the pilgrims wanted to celebrate their arrival in the New World with a giant feast. Today, Americans still celebrate the arrival of the pilgrims every year, on the fourth Thursday in November.
