Strange Holidays In November

November, like every other month, is full of strange and sometimes silly, holidays and observances. Month by month, I will cover them all. There is a lot more to celebrate in November than just turkey day and the Detroit Lions losing yet another football game. Sorry to all the Lions fans out there, but you know that I am right. Check out the great, fun holidays to celebrate in the month of November! Maybe you can find something fun to do aside from the crazed, mad dash shopping blitz of Black Friday! Save yourself a potential shopping related injury, and do some shopping online instead! The cost of an emergency room visit will negate any money you actually saved.

A whole month devoted to a lot more than turkey and pumpkin pie. So, what is on the calendar for this month? Let's find out!

• Family Stories Month: It seems fitting that November would be the month for family stories. I can't count the number of times old family stories were rehashed at our annual Thanksgiving get-togethers. Some of them, of course, we would rather not hear, either because they are slightly embarrassing, or because we have heard them about 1,000 times. Some stories should just be forgotten. Some are timeless treasures that keep us connected to our past. So, share some family stories this month.
• Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month: For those of you who have to deal with a gluten-free diet, I am sorry. Glutens are delicious. They make bread chewy and help it keep it's shape. I love bread!! I could never live on a gluten-free diet. I guess I am now more aware of the issue. I guess mission accomplished then?
• National Georgia Pecan Month: Aside from the Thanksgiving standard of pumpkin pie, many people also bring along the other Thanksgiving standard, the pecan pie. There is even a hybrid of the two; the caramel pecan pumpkin pie. The pie for the person who can't decide between pecan and pumpkin pie. That's just too much. I guess it makes sense that November is National Georgia Pecan month.
• National Novel Writing Month: For those of you that have been putting off starting, or even finishing that 'next great American novel', this is the month to do it! So, get started! You know you have a great idea floating around in your head that you have been wanting to put down on paper. Either you just haven't found the time, don't know how to get started, or don't have the guts to put yourself out there. Whatever the excuse, put all that aside, and just start writing. It may sit in the bottom of a drawer for all eternity, or it could launch a lucrative career as a writer. You don't know until you try!
• National Peanut Butter Lovers Month: After growing up with peanut butter as a staple of my childhood diet, I was astounded to learn that peanut butter is uncommon, and sometimes unknown, in other countries. Peanut butter is awesome!! I seriously think those children in other countries that have grown up without peanut butter are missing out! I loved trips to my grandma's house as a kid, because she would always make us fluffer-nutters. A fluffer-nutter is a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. Add bananas and it's the best thing ever invented!
• NoSHAVEmber: What is NoSHAVEmber? It is the month to let your hair down, so to speak. Basically, it's an entire month where you don't have to shave. While, I know some of you will choose to disregard this event, either because of restrictions from your jobs, or personal reasons, some of you may see this as a month of liberation! Freedom from the evil razors that cut up your face, cause razor burn, and just take up so much of your time. So, let the beard grow and say goodbye to your razor for the month!
• Vegan Month: Another dietary choice I could never make. I love meat too much! I love ham, steak, bacon and eggs. For those vegans out there, good for you! If you have a vegan in your family, do something nice for them and make a vegan dish to bring for Thanksgiving. I am sure there will be plenty of turkey, stuffing, etc. brought by everyone else, but what about the vegan in your family? No one really thinks of them, do they?

Week by week, the month of November is full of fun things to celebrate. A whole week of fun and craziness! What more could you ask for?

• Give Wildlife a Break Week (1-7): Does the wildlife really give us a break? I don't really think so. Gators still end up in our swimming pools, deer wander out into the road, and birds poop on our cars. I guess if we give them a break, they might give us one, but I doubt it. What, exactly do they need a break from? They don't have jobs, don't have bills to pay. Maybe it's a break from us.
• National Patient Accessibility Week (1-7): Ummm...what? If your patients aren't accessible, isn't that sort of your fault? They are right there, in their rooms. Trust me, I know. Maybe it has to do with making things more accessible for the patients. Then again, that really isn't an issue, either, if you have a good hospital in your area.
• Pursuit of Happiness Week (7-13): Thanks to the restrictions, regulations and oversight by the liberally controlled government, the pursuit of happiness has been limited to only one week. You may be subject to persecution if you choose to pursue happiness outside of this week. Just kidding, there, really!
• Fraud Awareness Week (7-14): We need a week to be made aware that there is a thing called fraud? Really? I was aware of fraud long before I became aware that this week existed, so is it really necessary? I guess some people need a little more awareness than others. Are you aware of fraud now? I hope so!
• Dear Santa Letter Week (8-14): It's that time of year again. Time to make sure you get those letters to Santa out in the mail in time. You want to make sure the big guy gets your letter before it's too late. You don't want to end up getting socks and an ugly sweater again, do you? Who cares if you might shoot your eye out? You want that Red Ryder BB gun! Make your list, check it twice and hope against hope that Santa has put you on his nice list this year.
• World Kindness Week (8-15): It's a sad time in the history of the world, when we need a week to remind us to be kind to each other. Take some time this week and be kind to someone. Go about and do some random acts of kindness this week. Maybe the good karma will come back to you. It can't hurt. I try to do one good thing every day for someone I don't know. It might be something as small as letting someone through in traffic, holding the door for someone or any number of little things.
• Geography Awareness Week (14-20): I gave up on keeping up with geography. Countries and boundaries change so often, that what I learned in school is way different than the way things are today. Maybe that's why I am horrible at geography. I guess we should all be a little more aware of geography.
• National Farm-City Week (19-25): Farm-city, seems to be a contradiction. Farms are usually found in the country, not the city. Or maybe it's about a game, like Farmville. I admit it, I was addicted to Farmville. It was terrible. It wasted so much of my time. Growing up on a farm, I know how important farms are. Support your local farm, many of them have a small farmer's market. Buy some delicious locally grown produce, and support your local farmer.
• National Bible Week (21-28): Even those that are apposed to organized religion or Christianity can acknowledge the importance the Bible has played in the history of the world, some of it good, some of it bad. If you have never read the Bible, pick one up and check it out. No matter what you believe, it is still an interesting read, and may make you a little more informed on religious issues.
• National Game & Puzzle Week (21-28): I love games and puzzles of all kinds! I love doing jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, and games like Trivial Pursuit and Monopoly. Take down some of your old board games or a puzzle and do something fun with your family. Kids grow up so fast, make some time and do something special with them while you can.
• Better Conversation Week (22-28): With text messaging, twitter and the like, good conversation has died out a little. Have you ever caught yourself saying "OMG" or "LOL" out loud?? Not good....We are better than that. We are articulate, intelligent and complex people. Work a little harder this week on making your conversations more meaningful. Call up a friend you haven't talked to in a while. They will appreciate it.

Just about every day in November brings with it another wonderful, surreal celebration that will bring a smile to your face.

• 1st: National Author's Day: A day for all of us authors to celebrate!!! Honor your favorite author today! Whether it be a favorite novelist, or your favorite Hubber. Send them a thank you, a comment, read one of their books, or just write about your favorite author.
• 2nd: Plan Your Epitaph Day: We have all contemplated what will be on our tombstone, and today is the day you can do that! Now doesn't that sound like fun? For more on the matter check out Fun With Gravestones...by Christoph Reilly.
• 2nd: Traffic Directors Day: You don't see them all that often anymore, unless there is a massive power failure. The closest thing to a traffic director nowadays is the crossing guards that shuffle little kids across the streets before and after school.
• 2nd: Look For Circles Day: Circles are everywhere! Give your kids something to do on a long car ride by having them find as many circles as they can. It's a great way to teach shapes to young kids. Try it out yourself. You will be surprised at how many circles are all around us. Or go look for crop circles, maybe make some of your own.
• 2nd: Name Your Car Day: Every car, like every boat, deserves a name. Of course, it should be a girl's name. Cars, despite their manly nature, are women, for some reason. I don't get it. My car is named Sasha.
• 3rd: Cliché Day: So many cliches...so little time. We have all heard of more of them than we can bear to count. It seems as if everything is a bit of a cliché lately. The word gets thrown around more than most.
• 3rd: Sandwich Day: Yum!!! What food is more varied than the sandwich? So many different things you can do with a couple pieces of bread. You could have sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner for more than a week and never have the same thing twice. Make some tasty sandwiches today, or find a new recipe to try.
• 3rd: Housewife Day: Being a housewife is the one job that pays very little, gets little respect, and yet is so important. Remember to good old days when you came home from school, and there was your mom, with a snack ready, house cleaned, and dinner in the oven? Times have changed, and often moms have to work. Housewives deserve a lot more respect, and those stupid "Real Housewives" shows are not what I am talking about.
• 4th: National Chicken Lady Day: I don't get it either. Who is the chicken lady? Is she the odd cousin to Mother Goose? Is it an old lady who does the chicken dance? I don't really know. Maybe it's like a crazy cat lady, except with chickens...
• 4th: Use Your Common Sense Day: More people should pay attention to this day. It's no wonder that this day is close to election day. It seems that lately, common sense is not all that common. It's kind of sad, really. I see it all too often. Too many people wander through life with no common sense, whatsoever.
• 4th: National Men Make Dinner Day: This is truly a remarkable day! Get your men into the kitchen today! It's time for them to make dinner for a change!! I know, you may have to supervise, so they don't start the whole kitchen on fire. Give them something easy to make. Don't expect too much! Kidding to all the men out there, I know some of you are wonderful cooks, I know my fiancé is a great cook!
• 4th: Waiting For The Barbarians Day: It's time to prepare for the Barbarian invasion. It seems as if we have been transported back in time to the Dark Ages. Has anyone seen barbarians lately? Aside from the Capital One commercials?
• 5th: National Medical Science Liaison Awareness and Appreciation Day: And the award for the longest named holiday goes to...LOL! I am not exactly sure what a medical science liaison actually does, but I guess we need to be more aware of them and appreciate them a little more...
• 6th: Saxophone Day: Images of Bill Clinton and Kenny G come to mind. Now I'm going to have nightmares. The sax is a great instrument, really. Buy a saxophone for a budding musician, or play some great jazz or blues music.
• 6th: Marooned Without a Compass Day: Sounds like a bad day to me. To be marooned without a compass, no clue where you are, or where you need to go. I don't wish to be the person that has to deal with this unfortunate circumstance.
• 6th: I Love Nachos Day: I do love nachos, and not just on this day. I love nachos every day. Hit up your favorite Mexican restaurant and order up some yummy nachos! Or make your own. Just be sure to save some for me!
• 7th: International Tongue Twister Day: We all remember the silly tongue twisters we learned as children. Why not teach some to your kids? It still makes me giggle trying to get through a difficult tongue twister without messing up. My daughter gets a kick out of them, as well.
• 7th: National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day: They seem to get very specific when it comes to days related to chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate with almonds. Now, that is specific. I am not a fan of bittersweet chocolate or almonds, so I think I might avoid this day, and celebrate the tongue twisters instead.
• 7th: Zero Tasking Day: A day to do nothing!!! Just my kind of day! No tasks for you, no tasks for your hubby, either. Set that 'honey do' list aside for the day, and just relax. We all need a day like this once in a while, to recharge our batteries, maintain our sanity. Take a day off work, call it a mental health day.
• 8th: Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day: Another odd day. What would you consider bold and pungent? Maybe something spicy, with a lot of garlic? Maybe some strong, spicy chili? Whatever you decide, I hope it isn't too pungent, you might run everyone out of the house.
• 8th: National Parents As Teachers Day: I love this day!! Parents should take a more active role in their kid's educations. It's time all the parents stepped up and spent some time teaching their kids. I know I love teaching my daughter new things. Over the summer, we started teaching her the basics of multiplication. She learns very quickly.
• 9th: Chaos Never Dies Day: An interesting concept, to say the least. Chaos is unpredictable, confusion, sometimes destructive. It is said that it is the confusion through which the universe was created. Chaos is all around us, if we really look. Pay tribute to chaos today by doing something unpredictable and completely out of character. It might be fun!
• 10th: Area Code Day: I am not really old enough to remember a time before we had area codes in the U.S. New area codes keep getting created. Eventually, we will run out of numbers, and another new code will need to be created. Some people use an area code to designate where they are from, and people from the same area recognize that.
• 10th: Forget-Me-Not Day: Who are you, again? Kidding. Forget-Me-Nots are cute little flowers. Send some forget-me-nots to someone you care about to let them know they are on your mind. Let them know you haven't forgotten about them.
• 11th: Origami Day: The amazing art of Japanese paper folding is truly remarkable and very deserving of it's own day. Learn a little of this impressive art form. Teach your kids something interesting and new. Start out simple, and work your way up to the more complex examples of the art.
• 11th: Guinness World Record Day: Why not set your own world record today? Or buy a copy of the book, look up some world records and pick one to break. Maybe you can set the Guinness Book of World Records record for most Guinness Record books stacked on a record player.
• 11th: Air Day: Where would we be without air? Aside from dead, not sure. Nothing would be here. The whole planet would be dead. Nothing can survive without it. We cannot live in a vacuum. So, be grateful for the air!!
• 12th: Domino Day: Whether you celebrate today by ordering a pizza or by setting up a trail of dominoes throughout your house and setting them all to topple, it doesn't really matter. Maybe play a game of dominoes with your kids or your grandparents. I am sure they would appreciate the time and attention.
• 12th: Happy Hour Day: YAY!!!! Every hour should be happy hour! Take your friends, you spouse or your boss out for a drink today to celebrate! When is happy hour? Any hour you spend in good company seems pretty happy to me! Of course, two for one drinks always makes it just a little happier, now doesn't it?
• 13th: World Kindness Day: We already have World Kindness Week, and in an effort to further emphasize the issue, we now have World Kindness Day. It just so happens to fall during World Kindness Week. Be extra kind today. Go the extra mile to help someone out today.
• 14th: Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day: We all need to loosen up and lighten up every now and then. People take some things far too seriously. We all need to learn to laugh at ourselves a little more, lighten up a little bit more, and just learn to relax a little bit. Life is serious enough as it is. Don't sweat the small stuff!
• 14th: National American Teddy Bear Day: Who doesn't love a teddy bear? They are cute, fuzzy and cuddly!! Give you kids a soft, cute teddy bear today! I still have a few from my own childhood. They are very dear to me. I have handed them down to my daughter, of course, but they are still very dear. They remind me of my childhood.
• 14th: Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day: You have got to make room for all those Thanksgiving left-overs! Besides, it's a good reminder! I know I should clean out my fridge a little more often. I never find anything resembling a science experiment, but I do tend to forget things when they find their way to the back of the fridge.
• 15th: America Recycles Day: No wonder we get such a bad rap! If you were to look at this, it would seem as if we only recycle one day a year. I do know that some people recycle even less than that, though most of us are a lot better at it than that. So, if you don't recycle, look at this day as a reminder!
• 15th: I Love to Write Day: Do you love to write? If you are active here on HubPages, I already know the answer to that. Take some extra time today and do some writing. Write about why you love to write, what you love about writing, or what inspires you.
• 15th: National Bundt Pan Day: For those of you unfamiliar with a bundt pan, it's a cake pan with a hole in the middle. A bundt cake ends up looking like a giant domed doughnut of sorts. They are quite pretty, and are usually drizzled in yummy icing. So, make a delicious bundt cake today!
• 16th: Send Tony a Heineken Day: HubPages first ever holiday! Due to suggestions by HubPages members, namely, tony0724, himself. So, send him a beer to celebrate. Seems kind of a one sided holiday...
• 17th: Homemade Bread Day: I absolutely love homemade, fresh baked bread! I love the way the house smells for hours! There is nothing quite like bread that is made from scratch in your very own kitchen. Try making some bread of your own today. White bread, wheat bread, banana bread, it really doesn't matter. I recommend Irish Soda Bread! It's delicious!
• 17th: GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Day: Maybe this is what gives our GPS on our phones all the information it needs to tell us where we are, and where we need to go. I am not really sure. I just know that sometimes I am smarter than my GPS and sometimes it's smarter than I am.
• 17th: Take A Hike Day: We have all wanted to tell someone to take a hike at some point in our lives. Today is the day to do just that. Or maybe you should take a hike! Not like that! I mean a nature hike. Head out to a park or the woods and take a hike along a nature trail. The fresh air and exercise is good for you.
• 18th: Great American Smokeout: Put your cigarettes out...it's just one day...you can do it! I won't be, but I am sure you can do it!! If you make it the whole day, why not go for a week! I know I should quit, and maybe this day would be a good day to shoot for!
• 18th: Married to a Scorpio Support Day: Is being married to a Scorpio that bad? I wouldn't know. I hope it's not as bad as all that. I guess it must be pretty bad if you need a day of support. To all those married to a Scorpio, I wish you the best of luck, and take a day to gather with other Scorpio spouses.
• 18th: Mickey Mouse Day: I love Mickey! I love Disney! I can't help it. Ever since I saw Snow White when I was a kid, I was hooked! Watch some classic Mickey cartoons, go to Disney, or at least the Disney Store!
• 18th: Push-Button Phone Day: As apposed to what? A rotary phone??? Does anyone even HAVE a rotary phone anymore? Now Rotary Phone Day! That would at least be interesting! You don't see those anymore. Though my cell phone does have a touch screen, so I guess push-button phones are slowly making a decline, as well.
• 18th: Use Less Stuff Day: I need to pay extra attention to this day!!! I have way too much stuff. I use way too much stuff! I just need to downsize a little bit...or maybe a lot! So, everyone, let's get together and use less stuff today. Leave your TV off for the day, put away your curling irons, flat irons, coffee makers, etc. and just use less stuff.
• 19th: World Toilet Day: The toilet...it's incredibly necessary, easily disregarded, and not very fun to clean. We need them, though. They deserve a day to be recognized...after all, they deal with our crap all day, every day.
• 19th: Have a Bad Day Day: We all have bad days. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just schedule our bad day? Let's make November 19th our only bad day this year! If only it worked that way! Why would anyone want to have a bad day, though...
• 20th: Name Your PC Day: Well, we have already named our car this month, so I guess we have to start naming other things. I guess our PC is the next logical thing to name. I know I spend more time with my computer than I do in my car. What to name my computer??? It makes me angry, so maybe I should name it after my ex. LOL
• 20th: Absurdity Day: As if these days haven't been absurd to begin with. Now we have a day just for being absurd. Let's see how absurd you can really be! Do something strange, wild and wacky today. It's OK to be absurd today!
• 21st: World Hello Day: Say 'hello' to everyone you see today! Wake up and say 'hello' to the world. Saying 'hello' to people makes them feel important. It's good to get recognition, even if it's just a hello.
• 21st: World Television Day: The wonderful invention known as the television gets it's own day of recognition. Debate ensues as to the value of television, but I love it! I have learned so much from television. I watch everything from documentaries, Jeopardy, science shows, to horror movies and silly comedies. I do learn something from everything I watch, no matter the educational value.
• 21st: False Confession Day: I am not telling you to walk into a police station and confess to something you didn't do. That would be wrong, and probably criminal. But confess to little things. Confess to your spouse that you forgot to change the roll of toilet paper, even if it wasn't you. Confess to forgetting your anniversary, and then pull a wonderful present from behind your back.
• 22nd: Start Your Own Country Day: I am reminded of yet another episode of Family Guy, where Peter starts his own country of Petoria. Start your own country today. People do it all the time. How do you think we got Norway? Kidding, of course, but if you have extensively studied geography over the years, you will see how often new countries pop up. It happens all the time.
• 23rd: Fibonacci Day: Who or what is Fibonacci? Fibonacci was an Italian mathematician. There is a number sequence named after him called...The Fibonacci Sequence! Big surprise there, huh? In the Fibonacci sequence, each number is a sum of the two numbers before it. It goes like this...0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21...etc.
• 24th: Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day: Do you have a unique talent? Most of us do. Can you burp the alphabet? Play the William Tell Overture on your face? What is your unique talent? Celebrate it today by sharing it with the world. I hear Youtube is a great place to do that.
• 24th: D. B. Cooper Day: We have our own D. B. Cooper, right here on HubPages! D. B. Cooper was the man who in 1971, hijacked a commercial airline, held it for ransom, and parachuted out of the plane with $200,000 and was never seen or heard from him again. There is a lot of speculation as to who he really was and what happened to him. Did he survive? What happened to the money if he didn't? We may never really know.
• 24th: Tie One On Day: We have all had days were we felt like tying one one. Today is the day! YAY!!! Too bad this isn't closer to Happy Hour Day. Now that would be awesome!! I could go for a Tie One On Week sometimes.
• 25th: Shopping Reminder Day: Black Friday is fast approaching. I love and hate Black Friday. I love the excitement! My uncle always made it a fun family event. Sadly, he passed on a few years ago, and Black Friday just hasn't been the same. We would gather up the adds after dinner, pass them around and plan the family shopping spree. I miss it.
• 26th: Flossing Day: We all know we need to floss, but how many of us really do? I know I hate to floss. So, make your dentist happy, and floss today. At least you can tell him you did floss, even if it was just once.
• 26th: Maize Day: Corn!!! I love sweet corn! Yummy! Dried up corn stalks are a traditional fall decoration. I think it was just a convenient way for farmers to make a little money off the leftover garbage after the corn was all done growing, but I still miss the look of the corn stalks my mom puts up on the house every fall.
• 26th: Sinkie Day: This day falls on the day after Thanksgiving. So, next year, it may be a different day. Sorry about that. Sinkie day refers to the act of eating leftovers over the sink to avoid dirtying anymore dishes, if you have any clean, that is. I love Thanksgiving leftovers, especially turkey sandwiches!
• 27th: International Aura Awareness Day: Auras are a spiritual thing that some may not believe in. That's fine. Just be aware of them, that's all we are asking. I have never seen one, nor do I know if they are real or not. That isn't for me to say. Maybe I will start seeing them now that I am more aware.
• 27th: National Day of Listening: We all need to do more listening. We all too often get so focused on what we have to say and what we want to hear, that we never really take the time to listen. So, even if it's just for today, shut your mouth and really listen. Listen to your family, friends, co-workers, even just the sound of the wind through the trees or the singing of the birds. You may be missing out on something important or beautiful.
• 27th: Pins & Needles Day: Now, this day does not sound fun at all! You know that pins and needles feeling you get after your foot falls asleep? I hate that!!! I hate getting shots! I can't imagine being able to handle acupuncture. Yet, I love tattoos. It makes no sense, really.
• 28th: Make Your Own Head Day: This is the one day that really befuddled me. I didn't really know what to make of it. Make your own head? Out of what? Why? I just don't get it. I guess make your own head out of whatever you want. I don't know why, though. Do with it what you want. Use it to scare the crap out of someone. That might be fun!
• 29th: Electronic Greetings Day: Didn't we have one of these in May? Or was it October? I don't remember. Send out some early holiday greetings! Send an e-card to that relative you don't really talk to. It may rekindle your relationship.
• 29th: Throw Out Your Leftovers Day: Wait!! What?? Don't throw those out! They're still good for a few more days! Well, whatever. If you need the room in the fridge, throw out the leftover green bean casserole and cranberry sauce. I guess if it hasn't gotten eaten by now, it probably won't be.
• 30th: Computer Security Day: Protecting your computer is incredibly important these days. Use today as a reminder to update your virus software, scan your computer, or start using one of those file storage sites.
• 30th: Stay Home Because You're Well Day: I think I just might do that! If I happen to be scheduled for work that day. I think I might just call out of work that day. We all need a day to stay home even when we aren't sick.