November is the eleventh month and the last month of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. It is late Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. November comes from the Latin novem meaning nine and on the old Roman calendar (which had no January or February) it was the ninth month. When the Julian calendar was adopted, the name remained the same although it was not the eleventh month. The Gregorian calendar kept the same name as well. Daylight Savings Time usually ends by November.

And the dead leaves lie huddled and still,
No longer blown hither and thither;
The last lone aster is gone;
The flowers of the witch-hazel wither …
–Robert Frost (1874–1963)

The Leonid Meteor Shower takes place around November 17-18. The first full moon of November is called the Beaver Moon in the U.S. The time coincides with when beavers build their dams before retiring to their lodges in cooler climates. Also in Colonial America, beaver traps were set up before swamps froze. Farmers have completed their harvests by this time and in the old days preparation for winter would begin by canning fruits and vegetables. Produce specific to fall and winter would also make a full appearance by this time.

There is a lot of weather folklore about November as well. Over at the Old Farmers Almanac, they list the following:

• If there’s ice in November that will bear a duck, there’ll be nothing after but sludge and muck.
• November take flail; let ships no more sail.
• If trees show buds in November, the winter will last until May.
• There is no better month in the year to cut wood than November.
• Ice in November brings mud in December. ¹

There are two major holidays in the United States. The first one is Veteran’s Day (Remembrance Day/Poppy Day UK) on 11 November. It was originally a holiday to commemorate those who served in World War I and then was changed much later to remember all those who served in time of war and peace. The other major public holiday is Thanksgiving (US), which was created as a day to give thanks for our country. It always takes place on the fourth Thursday in November.

The symbols for November are the topaz (birthstone that symbolizes friendship), and its flower is the chrysanthemum.

¹“The Month of November 2024: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore.” Almanac.Com. Last modified October 24, 2024. https://www.almanac.com/content/november-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.