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November: The Month of Mystery, Memory & Mild Chaos
A deeper look at the quirks, history, and cosmic drama tucked inside fall’s most overlooked month.
November is one of those months that tiptoes into the room like it’s trying not to draw attention to itself. Halloween wrappers are still on the counter, pumpkins are collapsing in slow motion, and suddenly the world smells like cinnamon brooms and anxious holiday energy. But beneath the cozy sweaters, early sunsets, and “Why is everyone at the airport?” vibes, November is actually one of the most fascinating months on the calendar. It’s packed with ancient history, cultural rituals, astrological tension, and a few fun contradictions — like the fact that November still insists on being called “Month Nine” even though it’s number eleven. Once you peel back the layers, November isn’t a transition month at all. It’s a whole personality.
November Wasn’t Always the Eleventh Month
November has an identity crisis rooted in ancient Rome — and honestly, same. In the original Roman calendar, the year started in March, which made November the ninth month. Its name literally comes from “novem,” meaning nine, and everyone just went along with it like that made perfect sense. But then the Romans realized their calendar was about as accurate as a weather app during Michigan spring, so they added January and February to the beginning of the year. This bumped November down to eleventh place, but… no one bothered to rename it. Over centuries and multiple calendar reforms, November stubbornly held onto its original name. So today it’s Month Eleven walking around with a Month Nine nametag, like someone who refuses to update their Facebook profile picture from 2008.
The Busiest Travel Day of the Year Happens Now
If you’ve ever been to an airport the Sunday after Thanksgiving, you already know: this is the Super Bowl of people-wrangling. Every gate looks like someone yelled “FREE COOKIES,” TSA lines resemble theme park rides (minus the fun), and everyone is clutching a turkey sandwich in a plastic baggie like it’s keeping them alive. This one day sees more air travel than any other — even Christmas — because everyone is trying to escape their families and their leftovers at the exact same time. And yet, underneath the chaos, there’s a strange sense of unity: millions of people, all on the same mission to get home, get back to routine, and swear they’ll “never travel during Thanksgiving again” (until next year).
Scorpio & Sagittarius: November’s Astrological Cocktail
November lives on a cosmic fault line between two wildly different energies, and if you’ve ever felt emotionally whiplashed this month, now you know why. The first stretch belongs to Scorpio season — intense, intuitive, passionate, and slightly dramatic in a “I know what you did and I’m waiting for you to admit it” kind of way. Scorpios feel deeply and see everything. Then, right when the emotional pressure cooker reaches maximum steam, Sagittarius kicks the door down on November 22 with a suitcase, a philosophical question, and zero plans. Sag energy is adventurous, spontaneous, optimistic, and allergic to sitting still. Together, these two signs create a month that’s part soul-searching, part road trip — a moody, fiery, oddly inspiring blend that only November could pull off.
A Global Month of Remembrance
Across cultures, November is less a month and more a pause — a quiet, reflective moment built into the calendar. In Mexico and much of Latin America, Día de los Muertos on November 1–2 honors ancestors not with sorrow, but with celebration: altars filled with marigolds, candles, favorite foods, and memories that feel alive. In Catholic traditions, November opens with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, moments for honoring the departed and praying for loved ones who’ve passed. Many countries throughout Europe observe similar traditions, filling cemeteries with candlelight that turns the dark nights soft and golden. And of course, November 11 marks both U.S. Veterans Day and international Remembrance Day, chosen to reflect the end of WWI at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — a symbolic breath of peace after unimaginable loss. November carries memory like a vessel, reminding us to honor the people, stories, and sacrifices that shaped the world we live in.
The First Thanksgiving Wasn’t in November
If you picture the first Thanksgiving happening in crisp fall weather in late November, congratulations — you’ve fallen for centuries of calendar propaganda. The 1621 harvest feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people likely happened in September or early October, when the harvest was actually complete and the weather wasn’t an icy nightmare. November in New England back then would’ve been cold, muddy, and far too unpleasant for a three-day outdoor meal. So how did Thanksgiving land in November? Blame Abraham Lincoln. In 1863, he declared Thanksgiving a national holiday on the last Thursday of November to unite the country during the Civil War. So the first Thanksgiving didn’t move — our celebration did. And the nation said, “Sure, November works. Pass the pie.”
November may masquerade as the quietest month — the in-between of fall festivities and holiday mayhem — but look closer and it’s bursting with meaning. It’s a month of deep roots and deep breaths, a month that blends reflection with celebration, ancient tradition with modern chaos. Whether you’re lighting a candle for a loved one, dodging airport crowds, eating reheated stuffing at midnight, or wondering why the sun has disappeared at 4:45 p.m., November invites you to slow down, look back, and find beauty in the in-between. It’s the hinge between seasons, the soft landing before winter, and the perfect reminder that even “ordinary” months have extraordinary stories.