The Best Festivities to Beat the November Blues!
November is cold, dark and rainy and usually there is not that much to do. If you are from a big city luckily there may be a lot of Christmas festivities that begin early but if not, it can be pretty depressing to go outside at 3pm and find the sun has completely disappeared and that it is dark and rainy outside.
November is my least favourite month because there is not that much to look forward to so I decided to compile a list of festivities you can celebrate to take your mind of the dark and depressive November atmosphere.
Bonfire Night (5th November)
In the UK, one of my fave festivities to celebrate is bonfire night. In the 17th Century there was a Catholic plot to blow up the houses of parliament to kill King James and restore England to Catholicism. This plot was thwarted and the mastermind behind it was captured and sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered which was the standard punishment for Treason at the time. Now, we celebrate by having fireworks, hot drinks, toffee apples, alcohol and bonfires to celebrate. Originally the celebration was for the fact that our King had survived the attempt on his life but now people are using the 5th of November as a symbol of revolution. I love this festival because its an excuse to wrap up warm and head outside on a dark dreary winter’s night and spend time with family and friends watching fireworks.
Singles day/ 11.11 (11th November)
This festivity is a little controversial because this date also coincidences with Remembrance day in the UK. The UK and all commonwealth countries use the 11th to remember all of those who died fighting in the first and second world war and we wear poppies to mark the occasion. However, across the pond in Asia it is Singles’ day. It started out as a bit of a parody from Nanjing University students in 1993 wondering how to break the monotony of their single lives and thus, 11.11 was born. People throw Singles’ parties in the hopes of hooking up or gift pepero sticks to their friends and crushes. The idea spread through social media and now it’s considered a huge shopping holiday, an even bigger phenomenon than black Friday. This is a fun and witty festivity to celebrate with friends, especially while at university.
Festa Della Salute (21st November)
The Festa Della Salute is an event which only takes place on the island of Venice, Italy. People celebrate by visiting a church to pray for health and by eating snacks and having a party. For more information about La Festa della Salute check out a blog post I wrote about it 2 years ago here. We also are given a day of school and sometimes a day off work so you can use this day for travelling around or to relax with friends.
US Thanksgiving ( Various dates- the 4th Thursday of November)
This year American Thanksgiving is on November 28th. Thanksgiving is another slightly controversial holiday because it discounts the struggles of the Native American people. However, the core idea at the heart of Thanksgiving is to spend time with loved ones and be grateful and thankful for all that you have. If you are not American but are looking for an excuse to celebrate one boring evening in November, why not host a ‘Friends-giving’ Party for you and your nearest and dearest. Host a potluck and ask all friends to bring one dish or drink and have a dinner party together and get merry with friends. This is also a brilliant precursor to Christmas as many are obliged to be at home with their family on Christmas day.
Black Friday (Various dates - Friday after US thanksgiving)
Black Friday this year is Friday 29th November. It is another shopping day like Singles’ day in China, whereby shoppers are given incredible discounts after thanksgiving which is helpful to many in the days leading up to Christmas. Almost every shopping in the U.S has great deals and people line up early in the morning in order to snag the best deals. These days most stores around the world offer incredible discounts particularly on their websites, so stay tuned and grab your wallets!
Honourable mentions: Two honorable mentions are Luni-solar holidays so sometimes they fall in November, but it depends on the Lunar Calendar. The first is Guru Nanak’s birthday. One of the most important holidays of the Sikh calendar as he is considered to be the founder of Sikhism. It is celebrated by going to the Temple or Gurdwara to sing hymns and worship. After this a communal lunch is served for all in the spirit of service and devotion to all. In some cases there are also night festivities and night time prayers.
The second honorable mention is Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. People who celebrate, decorate the house with lights, set off fireworks, give gifts and eat delicious sweets. Many also perform Puja, which is a prayer ritual. The festival celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. If you ever get a chance to experience this festival with friends you absolutely must!
