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. |