November – fall is in full swing, colder temperatures are here, and the two busiest times of year are approaching: Thanksgiving and Christmas. Content marketing that includes Thanksgiving and Christmas themes should be in full swing. Why not share some ideas of your own or those from readers about favorite Thanksgiving recipes or DIY decorations for the holidays. If you plan to publish a Christmas shopping guide featuring your products or services, it should be out early this month.
November and December are also when our thoughts turn to home and family. Aside from the commercial aspects of this season, themes dealing with family, traditions, and cherished memories are always in good taste. Conversely, the holiday season is not a happy time for everyone. The suicide rate generally peaks at this time of year and crime increases. Consider investigating these themes is they resonate with your or with your particular business niche.
 

Holidays

November 1: All Saints Day

The Christian holiday of All Saint’s Day honors and recognizes all the saints of the Christian church, many of whom were martyrs. Over 10,000 recognized saints are celebrated and remembered. All Saints Day was originally in May but was moved to November 1st to downplay the Pagan holidays of Halloween (All Hallow’s Eve).
 

November 7: Election Day

General Elections are held in the United States on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Once every four years, Americans have the opportunity to elect a new president. Every six years, we elect our U.S. senators. U.S. congressman are elected every two years. This allows us to retain good elected officials, and overturn those who don’t serve us well. While Democracy may not be perfect, it offers us freedoms and safeguards that do not exist in many other countries. The U.S. founding fathers created a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, and it is every American’s right and privilege to vote for our government officials.
 

November 11: Veteran’s Day

On November 11 at 11:11, 1921, the U.S. France and England each buried an unknown soldier in honor of those who died in World War I. This began the annual Armistice Day holiday. The time and day was picked because fighting ceased in WWI in 1918 on November 11 at 11:11. In 1954, President Eisenhower changed it to Veteran’s Day, in honor of those who served and died from all the nation’s wars. This important holiday honors all members of the Armed Forces who served our country. Veterans gave their time, and risked their lives. In some cases, they made the ultimate sacrifice.
 

November 23: Thanksgiving Day

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Indians in 1621. Life for the early settlers was difficult, therefore the fall harvest was time for celebration. The Pilgrims and the Indians created a huge feast including a wide variety of animals and fowl, as well as fruits and vegetables from the fall harvest. This early celebration was the start of today’s holiday celebration. After the first Thanksgiving, the observance was sporadic and almost forgotten until the early 1800s. It was usually celebrated in late September or October. In 1941, Congress made it a national holiday and set the date as the fourth Thursday in November.
 

November 24: Black Friday

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. It is one of the two busiest shopping days of the year. (The other busiest shopping day is the day after Christmas, when throngs of shoppers hit the stores to use gift certificates and exchange merchandise.) In the world of accounting and business, red signifies a loss, and black signifies a profit. For many retailers, the Christmas holiday sales season represents one half to three quarters of their annual sales, which usually means turning a year in the red into a year completed in the black.
 

Birthdays

• November 4, 1969 – Matthew McConaughey, actor, producer
• November 6, 1814 – Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone
• November 6, 1988 – Emma Stone, actress
• November 7, 1867 – Marie Curie, first woman to win a Nobel Prize
• November 10, 1483 – Martin Luther, reformer
• November 11, 1974 – Leonardo DiCaprio – actor, film producer
• November 12, 1934 – Charles Manson, murderer
• November 12, 1982 – Anne Hathaway, actress
• November 17, 1859 – Billy the Kid, gunman
• November 19, 1962 – Jodie Foster, actress, director
• November 21, 1694 – Voltaire, author
• November 22, 1890 – Charles de Gaulle, former president of France
• November 22, 1984 – Scarlett Johanssen, actress
• November 23, 1992 – Miley Cyrus, singer
• November 24, 1946 – Ted Bundy, serial killer
• November 27, 1940 – Bruce Lee, martial arts expert
• November 27, 1957 – Caroline Kennedy, author
• November 29, 1898 – C. S. Lewis – author
• November 30, 1835 – Mark Twain, author
• November 30, 1874 – Sir Winston Churchill, WWII Prime Minister of England
• November 30, 1985 – Chrissy Teigen, model

Additional Topics

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disease and affects people of all ages. 1 in 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy at some point in their lives. For more information visit the Epilepsy Foundation website.
 

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working toward the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel. For more information and to register your participation visit https://nanowrimo.org/.
 

November is National Pomegranate Month

The pomegranate has been revered for 8,000 years as a symbol of health, longevity, new life, virginity and fertility. This little known fruit is crazy healthy and can be used in everything from breakfast to cocktails. For more information visit https://www.pomwonderful.com/.
What special days or observances grab your interest? Are there current events or happenings that will attract customers or impact your business? Share them in the comments and of course, share them with your readers! Until next month, get out the fall and winter clothes, enjoy some turkey, and as always, keep writing!