October means beautiful Fall leaves, falling temperatures, and Halloween! This spooky fun-filled holiday is one of the most important holidays for retail sales. Consumers seem to be quite liberal in their spending on candy, costumes, decorations, themed housewares, and more. It’s a great time to produce articles and videos around Halloween and have some fun entertaining your audience.
Consider some videos featuring zombies or your favorite old horror movie character highlighting your products or services. Here are more Halloween-themed suggestions:

• Share a funny post about your most memorable trick-or-treating experience
• Share a list of the best Halloween tricks you can imagine (or that you’ve played!)
• Research and share an article describing Halloween traditions from around the globe
• Share a list of great Halloween costume ideas (especially DIY ideas for kids)

Halloween is but one of the top retail holidays of the year. Christmas is another, and on October 1 there are only 85 days left until the big day. October is the time to begin holiday season content marketing that includes Thanksgiving and Christmas themes. Consider collecting ideas from readers about Thanksgiving recipes, DIY decorations for the holidays, and publishing a Christmas shopping guide featuring your products or services among other suggestions.
 

Holidays

October 4: Sukkot

Sukkot begins at sundown on October 4, 2017. This Jewish festival celebrates 40 years the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. They lived in tents, called ‘Sukkahs’, and so during the festival, tradition requires that observers build a sukkah in which to eat and sleep. The festival lasts for 7 days, and in the first 2 days no work is permitted. Its beginning date is always 5 days after Yom Kippur, another important Jewish holiday.
 

October 9: Columbus Day

For many, many years, history books in American schools taught that Christopher Columbus discovered America. What they failed to emphasize or even mention was that Native Americans were already here, and that Nordic travelers had explored all down the eastern coast of Canada literally hundreds of years earlier. Today, we accurately celebrate Columbus Day as when Columbus discovered the New World on behalf of Europeans, who believed the world was flat. Columbus also never landed on the American continent. He ended up on an island in the Caribbean.
 

October 16: Boss’s Day

Here is a day for employees to cherish. Take your boss out to lunch or send a nice gift. Celebrate if you have a good boss; many may not enjoy that perk. In any case, today is the boss’s day, so give him or her a break. This holiday originates in 1958 with a lady named Patricia Bays Haroski, who was then employed at the State Farm Insurance Company in Illinois. She chose the date because it was her father’s birthday. Ironically enough, her boss was….her father.
 

October 31: National Knock-Knock Joke Day

While October 31 is best known as Halloween, it is also when this funny holiday is observed. Its origin remains a mystery, but who doesn’t love a good joke? These jokes became popular primarily through their use on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In Show in the 60s and 70s. Consider publishing a list of your favorite knock-knock jokes and share some throughout the day on social media using the hashtag #KnockKnockJokeDay. Here’s a fun example:
Knock. Knock.
Who’s there?
Dwayne.
Dwayne who?
Dwayne the bathtub. I’m dwowning.
 

Birthdays

• October 1, 1920- Walter Matthau, actor
• October 1, 1924- Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President (1977-1981)
• October 1, 1927- Tom Bosley, actor
• October 1, 1935- Julie Andrews, actress, singer, “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music”
• October 2, 1890- Groucho Marx, comedian, “Marx Brothers”
• October 2, 1895- Bud Abbott, comedian, comedy team “Abbott & Costello”
• October 2, 1970- Kelly Ripa, actress, “Regis and Kelly” and TV series “Hope & Faith”
• October 3, 1941- Chubby Checker, singer, musician
• October 4, 1822- Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th U.S. President (1877-1881)
• October 4, 1861- Frederic Remington, painter, sculptor
• October 4, 1924- Charlton Heston, actor , NRA President
• October 4, 1976- Alicia Silverstone, actress
• October 5, 1829- Chester A. Arthur, 21st  U.S. President (1881-1885)
• October 5, 1902- Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s
• October 5, 1975- Kate Winslet, actress, “Rose” in movie “Titanic”
• October 6, 1846- George Westinghouse, engineer, inventor, developed AC electric power
• October 7, 1931- Desmond Tutu, archbishop, won Nobel Peace Prize
• October 7, 1959- Simon Cowell, judge on “American Idol”
• October 8, 1890 “Eddie” Rickenbacker, WWI flying ace
• October 8, 1943- Chevy Chase, actor, comedian, SNL, “Vacation” movies
• October 8, 1943- R. L. Stine,  author of children’s books
• October 9, 1940- John Lennon, singer, songwriter, musician, member of the “Beatles”
• October 9, 1948- Jackson Browne, singer, songwriter
• October 10, 1974- Dale Earnhardt Jr, auto racer
• October 11, 1884- Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady, wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt
• October 12, 1970- Kirk Cameron, actor
• October 14, 1890- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th U.S. President (1953-1961)
• October 14, 1927- Roger Moore, actor , played “James Bond”
• October 14, 1979- Usher, Rap singer
• October 16, 1758- Noah Webster – compiled first American English dictionary
• October 16, 1854- Oscar Wilde, poet, playwright
• October 16, 1958- Tim Robbins, actor, director
• October 17, 1912- Pope John Paul I, pope for just 34 days in 1978
• October 17, 1918- Rita Hayworth, actress
• October 17, 1938- Evel Knievel, motorcycle daredevil
• October 18, 1939- Lee Harvey Oswald, assassinated President John F. Kennedy
• October 20, 1931- Mickey Mantle, MLB baseball slugger
• October 21, 1956- Carrie Fisher, actress, “Princess Leia” in “Star Wars”
• October 22, 1942 Annette Funicello, actress, singer, beach movies
• October 23, 1925- Johnny Carson, Talk show host, “The Tonight Show”
• October 23, 1959- “Weird Al” Yankovic, singer, comedian
• October 25, 1881 -Pablo Picasso, artist
• October 25, 1940- Bobby Knight, College basketball coach
• October 26, 1947- Hillary Rodham Clinton, first lady, NY Senator
• October 26, 1947- Pat Sajak, TV game-show host , “Wheel of Fortune”
• October 27, 1858- Theodore Roosevelt, 26th  U. S President, (1901-1909)
• October 27, 1940- John Gotti, crime boss
• October 28, 1936 -Charlie Daniels, singer, songwriter, musician
• October 28, 1955- Bill Gates, Microsoft executive, multi-multi billionaire
• October 28, 1967- Julia Roberts, actress, “Pretty Woman”, “My Best Friends’ Wedding”
• October 30, 1735- John Adams, 2nd U.S. President (1797-1801)
• October 30, 1882- William “Bull” Halsey, World War II Pacific Fleet Commander
• October 30, 1945- Henry Winkler, actor
• October 31, 1795 John Keats, poet
• October 31, 1912- Dale Evans, the “Queen of the West”, born Frances Octavia Smith
• October 31, 1931- Dan Rather, TV News Anchorman
• October 31, 1936- Michael Landon, actor
• October 31, 1950- John Candy, actor, comedian

Additional Topics

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Numerous cancer organizations work together during the month of October to raise awareness and funding to help fight breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among women, only surpassed by skin cancer. In October, consider publishing content that reminds women of the dangers of breast cancer and encourages them to learn more about it and schedule a screening soon.
 

October is National Bullying Prevention Month

Over 1 out of 5 students report being bullied regularly in school. Bullying is not a harmless traditional rite of passage. It is wrong and harmful. National Bullying Prevention Month is a nationwide campaign founded in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. The yearly campaign seeks to unite communities around the world to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. Hundreds of schools, major corporations, and many celebrities have joined the movement. Publish content about the harmful effects of bullying and show that you care about kids being safe at school, while online, and in your community.
 

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month

This annual campaign seeks to raise awareness about the dangers and importance of cyber security. Today, the internet touches all aspects of our lives. Use this opportunity to educate your readers about the importance of protecting themselves and their important information while online and share some resources everyone can use to stay safe. For more information visit the United States Homeland Security website for Cyber Security Month.
 
What holidays grab your interest? Are there current events or holiday happenings that will attract customers or impact your business? Share them with me in the comments and of course, share them with your readers! Until next month, dress in your favorite costume, enjoy some great candy, and as always, keep writing!