"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." -George Eliot
October is...
The name October comes from the Latin word "octo" which means "eight". October was the 8th month in the Roman calendar. October became the 10th month when the beginning of the year was moved from March 1st to January 1st.
The Dutch name for October is Wijnmaand or "wine month." For the Finnish, October is called lokakuu, meaning "month of dirt". In Gaelic, October has several names: in Scottish, October is called an Damhar, meaning "rutting time" for the Irish, October is called Deireadh Fómhair, meaning "end of harvest-time," and for the Welsh, October is called "Hydref", meaning "autumn". In the Japanese calendar, the month is called Kan'na dzuki, which means "the absence of god." (Wikipedia)
The full moon month names for this month are the Hunter's Moon, Travel Moon, and the Dying Grass Moon. (Farmer's Almanac).
The weather proverbs for this month are:
Much rain in October,
Much wind in December. -Traditional English Proverb
If October bring much frost and wind,
Then are January and February mild. -Traditional English Proverb
A warm October,
A cold February. -Traditional English Proverb
Full Moon in October without frost,
No frost till November’s Full Moon. -Traditional English Proverb
(The full moon in October will be the 6th)
There are always nineteen fine days in October. -Traditional English Proverb
As the weather in October, so will it be in the next March. -Traditional English Proverb
When birds and badgers are fat in October, expect a cold Winter.- Traditional American Proverb (Wilson's Almanac)
October is...
Awareness Month (that's it, just Awareness), Adopt A Shelter Dog Month, AIDS Awareness Month, Alternate History Month (one of my favorite literary devices), Animal Safety and Protection Month, Anti-Boredom Month, Apple Jack Month, Apple Month, Auto Battery Safety Month, Billiard Awareness Month, Book Fair Month, Book Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Car Care Month, Caramel Month, Celebrate Sun Dried Tomatoes Month, Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Child Health Month, Children's Magazine Month, Chili Month, Church Safety and Security Month, Class Reunion Month, Clergy Appreciation Month, Clock Month, Co-Op Awareness Month, Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Month, Commune With Your Kid Month, Computer Learning Month, Construction Toy Month, Consumer Information Month, Cookie Month, Cosmetology Month, Country Music Month, Crime Prevention Month, Dental Hygiene Month, Depression Education and Awareness Month, Dessert Month, Diabetes Month, Disability Employment Awareness Month, Diversity Awareness Month, Dog Service Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Down Syndrome Month, Dryer Vent Safety Month, Eat Better, Eat Together Month, Eat Country Ham Month, Energy Management Family Month, Ergonomics Month, Family Health Month, Family History Month, Family Sexuality Education Month, Fantasy Month, Gain the Inside Advantage Month, Gay & Lesbian History Month, Go Hog Wild Month, Go On A Field Trip Month, Gourmet Adventures Month, Halloween Safety Month, Head Start Awareness Month, Health Literacy Month, Healthier Babies Month, Healthy Lungs Month, Home Inspection Month, International Drum Month, International Fired-Up Month, International Starman Month, International Strategic Planning Month, Kitchen and Bath Month, Lazy Eye Month, Listen To Your Inner Critic Month, Literacy Month, Liver Awareness Month, Long Term Care Planning Month, Lupus Awareness Month, Make a Will Month, Medical Librarian Month, Orthodontic Health Month, Pajama Month, Pasta Month, Pastor Appreciation Month, Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, Physical Therapy Month, Pickled Pepper Month, Pizza Month, Popcorn Poppin' Month, Pork Month, Positive Attitude Month, Pretzel Month, Reading Group Month, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Awareness Month, Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, Right Brainers Rule Month, Roller Skating Month, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) Awareness Month, Sarcastics Awareness Month, Seafood Month, Self-Promotion Month, Skin Care Month, Spina Bifida Awareness Month, Spinach Lovers Month (ironic isn't it), Spinal Health Month, Stamp Collecting Month, Substance Abuse Prevention Month, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month, Talk About Prescriptions Month, Teller Appreciation Month, Toilet Tank Repair Month, Vegetarian Awareness Month, Women's Small Business Month, Workplace Politics Month.
October's traditional birthstone is opal, for hope, but folklore states that opals will bring bad luck to those not born in October who wear it. Gemologists believe this comes from the fact that opals are soft, liquid filled and prone to crack if not taken care of properly. Non-traditional birthstones are rose quartz, pink saphire, or tourmaline.
October's flower is the marigold (calendula).
October’s child is born for woe,
And life’s vicissitudes must know
But lay an Opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest. Annie Fellows Johnston
