International holidays and observances - November 2010

• November retained its name (from the Latin novem meaning "nine"

• November is a month of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore November in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of May in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa.

First Week of November

• Diabetes Education Week (US National)
  • American Diabetes Association Web site: www.diabetes.org
• Health Information and Technology Week (US National)
  • Source: American Health Information Management Association Web site: www.ahima.org/hitweek/
• Medical Staff Services Week (US National)
  • Source: National Association Medical Staff Services Web site: www.namss.org

Second Week of November

• Radiologic Technology Week (US National)
  • Source: American Society of Radiologic Technologists Web site: www.asrt.org/content/eventsandconferences/nrtw.aspx
• World Kindness Week
  • World Kindness Day is always November 13th
  • Source: www.actsofkindness.org/people/days.asp

Third Week of November

• American Education Week (Observed the full week prior to Thanksgiving.)
  • National Education Association Web site: www.nea.org/aew
• Bladder Health Week
• Lung Cancer Awareness Week

Fourth Week of November

• Adoption Week (National, US)  - Observed Thanksgiving Week
  • November is Adoption Awareness Month (National) and National Adoption Day is celebrated every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
    • For information and The History of National Adoption Month, see the North American Council for Adoption Website: www.adoptioncouncil.org.
    • National Adoption Day Web site: www.nationaladoptionday.org
• Bible Week (National, US)
  • Celebrated each year from Sunday to Sunday of Thanksgiving week.  For more information, see:  www.nationalbible.org
• Family Caregivers Week (National, US)
  • Observed Thanksgiving Week
• Family Week (National, US)
  • Observed Thanksgiving Week - see National Family Week Web site:  www.nationalfamilyweek.org
   

  Events in November
• All Saints' Day (formerly All Hallows Day), a Christian holy day, is celebrated on November 1. The day before, Halloween, is therefore "All Hallows Eve". In Sweden the All Saints' official holiday takes place on the first Saturday of November.
• National Adoption Day – November
• 1 November – Day of the leaders of the Bulgarian national revival
• In Ireland, November 1 is regarded as the first day of Winter.
• November 1 is called November Day (Lá Samhna) in Celtic tradition and is thus named in the Irish Calendar, where the month is called Mí na Samhna.
• In the pagan wheel of the year, November begins at or near Samhain in the northern hemisphere and Beltaine in the southern hemisphere.
• In the Roman Catholic calendar, November 2 is All Souls Day. It is known in Mexico as el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), and the whole month of November is especially dedicated to praying for the dead
• Britain and New Zealand celebrate Guy Fawkes Night, the anniversary of the failed Gunpowder Plot, on November 5.

• In Indonesia, November 10 is known as National Heroes Day

• Remembrance Day is celebrated on November 11 in the Commonwealth of Nations and various European countries (including France and Belgium) to commemorate World War I and other wars. It is known as Veterans' Day in the United States.
• Independence Day in Poland on November 11.
• November 10 is the birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
• In India, Children's Day is celebrated on November 14, the birthdate of first Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
• The Leonids meteor shower reaches its peak around November 17.
• Latvian Independence day November 18.
• Discovery to the Eastern World of Puerto Rico by Christopher Columbus on November 19, 1493.
• Día de la Revolución, or Revolution Day, is celebrated in Mexico on November 20.
• Transgender Day of Remembrance has occurred on November 20 each year in the United States since 1999.
• Independence Day in Lebanon on November 22
• On 24 November each year, Lachit Divas is celebrated statewide in Assam, India, to commemorate the heroism of the great general Lachit Borphukan and the victory of the Assamese army over the Mughal army at the battle of Saraighat in 1671.
• The United States and Puerto Rico observe Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November.
• For Western Christians, Advent usually begins on a Sunday during the last week of November.
• Scotland and Romania celebrates St Andrews Day, its official national day, on 30 November. Since 2006 it has been an official bank holiday.
• International Men's Day is commemorated on the 19 November.

• Suriname is celebrating its Independence Day on November 25.