Since Thanksgiving is so late this year, you might want to think about some of the other things you can celebrate in November.
The 16th is National Button Day. I’m not sure if it refers to the kind on your shirt or the kind on your lapel with a slogan, picture or witticism, but it probably means both. Did you know that buttons were invented about 4,000 years ago? Pictures of some of the earliest ones show they had just one hole in the middle, and they weren’t used as fasteners, but as decorations and indications of wealth and importance. Believed to have been first made by people of the Indus River Valley civilization, they were usually carved from seashells. Strangely enough, it was not the button, but the invention of the buttonhole in Germany during the 13th century that made buttons a practical fastener for clothing. Buttons have been made from many different materials from shells, clay and wood to leather, gems, precious metals and human bones. And, still, they haven’t figured out where they go to when they come off in the laundry.
The 18th is National Princess Day which I discovered is for little girls and others who fantasize about Disney princesses, rainbows and unicorns. If you know any genuine princesses, I guess you could include them as well. Since it’s World Children’s Day just two days later, you could probably combine the two and have a fantasy party for a bunch of kids. With a little imagination, you could include all the little boys who dream about being superheroes and knights in shining armor. (Just tell them that it’s National Prince’s Day; if you don’t spell it out, they’ll never know the difference.)
National Cinnamon Day and National Doughnut Day were both earlier this month, but I doubt if anyone would mind if you choose to celebrate them late. It seems they would go nicely together. The first Doughnut Day was sponsored by the Salvation Army to help people in need during the Great Depression. There is now a second one in June (spelled Donut Day) sponsored by Krispy Kreme, that awards free donuts to students through sixth grade – one for each A, up to six, on their report card. These are awarded only at Krispy Kreme stores, not at other businesses that sell their doughnuts.
Another pair of celebrations that seem to go together are Author’s Day on November first and Fountain Pen Day on the first Friday of this month – it’s a coincidence that they occurred on the same day this year. Unfortunately, we’ve missed them both, but don’t let that keep you from enjoying your favorite author’s work at any time. If you can get your hand on a relatively new fountain pen, you might want to write something – a poem, letter, grocery list, etc. just for fun. Fountain pens have been known to be messy to fill and to use, especially if they are old ones which have deteriorating rubber bladders prone to leaking ink all over your hands, desk and favorite shirt.
November 20 is Future Teachers of America Day, founded by the Future Teachers of America in 1937, it is intended to encourage high school students to consider teaching as a career, and was one of the many things that set me on the path to becoming a teacher. At the time, I intended to become a math teacher; it was my favorite subject, close behind English. Had our school system offered art classes, I’ve no doubt that art would have been my first choice. It was not until college when I discovered that art was more than magazine covers, calendars and greeting cards that I realized it was an option.
We have the entire month of November to observe the importance of two additional causes. You can observe National Family Caregivers Month by giving a helping hand to a dedicated caregiver. This is also National Native American Heritage Month. Iowa is fortunate to be home to the Meskwaki Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi. Driven to Kansas by the French in the seventeen-hundreds, they gradually returned to Iowa’s familiar woodlands. In 1856, the Iowa Legislature granted them the right to purchase over 8,000 acres near Tama. Today, we are proud of their success in preserving their heritage and the enriching dimension they contribute to life in our state.