Every November, it’s time to begin preparation for the winter months, whether that means pulling out your winter coat, adding another blanket to your bed, or searching for the perfect pumpkin pie recipe.
November also holds some of the most important times of the year: elections in the US, Thanksgiving, Daylight Saving Time … Black Friday. There’s a lot going on during this shorter month (November has 30 days).
The Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, is often celebrated in November (although it may fall in October, according to the Hindu lunar calendar). Veterans Day is observed on November 11 and honors veterans and those who have served in the armed forces.
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The name November, however, follows the same pattern as the months before it, September and October, which take their names from their original numerical position in the calendar year.
So what does November mean?
November derives from the Latin root novem- meaning “nine,” because in the Roman calendar there were only 10 months in the year, and November was indeed the ninth month. The word November was first recorded before the year 1000.
For many English speakers, November marks the point in the year when the cold begins to set in. This association is no doubt why November’s adjectival form, Novemberish, means “dreary,” and why the month’s original name in Old English was Blōtmōnað, literally “blood-month.” Wait, blood month?
Get ready for some gory history: November was the month of heavy animal sacrifice, when the early Saxons would stock up on food for the winter. Today, Blōtmōnað might still be a relevant term—particularly during the weeks leading up to that turkey-filled Thanksgiving dinner.
What is November’s gemstone?
If you were born in November, you’re either a Scorpio (the tenacious and magnetic type) or a Sagittarius (an innovative trailblazer). Did you know there’s yet another (and newer) zodiac sign that might describe November babies? It’s called Ophiuchus.
No matter your sign, the November birthstone is topaz (before the 20th century, this term described any gem of yellow color). However, recently a specific form of topaz—citrine—has become the more specific birthstone of November. Citrine can vary in color from yellow to orange to brown and is generally more affordable than other kinds of topaz.
