October

For other uses, see October (disambiguation).

October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days.

October begins in western tropical astrology with the sun in the sign of Libra and ends in the sign of Scorpio. Astronomically speaking, the sun actually begins in the constellation of Virgo and ends in the constellation of Libra.

In Latin, octo means "eight". October was also the eighth month in the Roman calendar until a monthless winter period was divided between January and February.

October, from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry.

October Events and Holidays

• Columbus Day (United States) - Second Monday of October
• Thanksgiving (Canada) - Second Monday of October
• Health and Sports Day (Japan) - Second Monday of October
• Proclamation of Portuguese Republic (Portugal) - October 5
• Independence day in Croatia-October 8
• Apple Day October 21
• United Nations Day - October 24
• Independence Day in St. Vincent & the Grenadines - October 27
• Independence Day in Turkmenistan - October 27
• Halloween - October 31

More events are listed on the individual dates of the calendar on this page.

Month-long Observances

• National Arts & Humanities Month (in United States)
• National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (in United States)
• National Disability Employment Awareness Month (in United States)
• National Sexuality Education Month (in United States) [1]
• Filipino American History Month (in United States)

Cultural Celebrations

• National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15 in United States)
• Polish American Heritage Month [2]

Health Observances

• National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (in United States) [3]
• Campaign for Healthier Babies Month
• Celiac Sprue Awareness Month [4]
• National Dental Hygiene Month (in United States) [5]
• National Down Syndrome Awareness Month (in United States) [6]
• Health Literacy Month [7]
• Healthy Lung Month [8]
• National Infertility Awareness Month (in United States)[9]
• National Lupus Erythematosus Awareness Month (in United States) [10]
• National Orthodontic Health Month (in United States)
• National Physical Therapy Month (in United States) [11]
• National Spina Bifida Awareness Month (in United States) [12]
• National Spinal Health Month (in United States)
• Rett Syndrome Awareness Month (in United States) [13]
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month (in United States) [14]
• Talk About Prescriptions Month (in United States)
• World Blindness Awareness Month [15]

Other names

• In Latin, October is called October, or VIIIber (where VIII is the Roman number 8, in Latin "octo"). The name is due to the fact that it was the 8th month in the early Julian calendar beginning in March).
• In Albanian, October is called Tetor
• In Arabic, October is called tashrîn al-awwal in the Middle East and uktûbîr in North-Africa.
• In Slovak, October is called október.
• In Czech, October is called říjen. The origin of this name is in the deer's belling in this month.
• A traditional Dutch name for October is Wijnmaand ("wine month") because the first wines of the year have ripened.
• In Finnish, October is called lokakuu, meaning "month of dirt".
• In German, October is called Oktober.
• In Scottish Gaelic, October is called an Damhar, meaning "rutting time" (of stags).
• In Hungarian, October is called Október.
• In Irish, October is called Deireadh Fómhair, meaning "end of harvest-time".
• In Italian, October is called ottobre.
• In Turkish, October is called Ekim, meaning "sowing" because of the sowing of wheat.
• In the old Japanese calendar, the month is called Kannazuki (神無月, also pronounced Kaminazuki), literally meaning the month without gods, but the original meaning is uncertain.
• In Croatian, October is called Listopad, meaning leaves list fall pad.
• In French, October is called "octobre".
• In Spanish, October is called "octubre".
• In Polish, October is called "Październik".
• In Romanian, October is called "Octombrie"
• In Russian, October is called "Октябрь"
• In Lithuanian, October is called Spalis.
• In Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch and German, October is called Oktober.
• In Portuguese, October is called "Outubro".
• In Welsh, October is called "Hydref", meaning "autumn".
• In Icelandic, October is called október.
• In Chinese, October is called Shíyuè（十月）.

Trivia

• October begins on the same day of the week as January in common years.
• October in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to April in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.
• October's birthstone is the opal or tourmaline.
• October's flower is the calendula or cosmos.
• Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October.
• The month October has become famous as "Red October", due to the Russian October revolution of 1917.
• In the nineteenth century, the month of October was dedication to devotion to the rosary in Roman Catholic countries.
• The composer Eric Whitacre wrote a song called October.