Autumn Holidays - Holidays associated with the Autumn Season

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: In late September or October, Jews believe that God opens the Book of Life for ten days, starting with Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and ending with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). During these days, the holiest in the Jewish year, Jews try to atone for any wrongdoing and to forgive others. A ram's horn trumpet, known as the shofar, is blown before and during Rosh Hashanah and at the conclusion of Yom Kippur.

Labor Day: United States' holiday observed on the first Monday in September. Labor Day originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create "a day off for the working citizens". Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1894.

Columbus Day: Celebrated throughout the Americas on the second Monday in October, Columbus Day honors the day Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World in 1492 (San Salvador, Bahamas).

Hop-tu-Naa: Celtic festival celebrated in the Isle of Man on 31 October. Predating Halloween, it is the celebration of the original New Year's Eve (Oie Houney). The term is Manx Gaelic in origin, deriving from Shogh ta’n Oie, meaning "this is the night". Hogmanay, which is the Scottish New Year, comes from the same root. Hop-tu-Naa children dress up as scary beings and go from house to house with the hope of being given sweets or money, as elsewhere. However the children carry turnips rather than pumpkins and sing an Anglicized version of Jinnie the Witch.

Halloween: Celebrated on October 31, Halloween is often associated with the colors orange and black, and is strongly associated with symbols such as the jack-o'-lantern. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o'-lanterns, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies.

Day of the Dead: On November 1 — called Día de Los Muertos — Mexicans remember their loved ones who have died by visiting them and having a meal right in the graveyard. Stores sell sugar-candy caskets, breads decorated with "bone" shapes, and toy skeletons.

St. Martin's Day: November 11. The feast day of Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized as an adult and became a monk. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. In parts of Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Austria, children go to houses with paper lanterns and candles, and sing songs about St. Martin in return for treats.

Veteran's Day: American holiday honoring military veterans. In other parts of the world, November 11 is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.

Thanksgiving Day: Celebrated in United States on the fourth Thursday in November at the end of the harvest season to express thanks for one's material and spiritual possessions. Traditional Thanksgiving Day culinary fare includes turkey with stuffing, cranberries and pumpkin pie.