NOVEMBURSTS

 

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruit, no flowers, no leaves no birds—

No-vember!

 

    Except for any November in which you may happen to begin or end your life, this month, like April, June and September, always comes with a guaranteed (although slightly under par) supply of 30 days.  Among those who had a short November (in 397 A.D.) was Martin, the patron saint of France.  November 11 became his feast day, and, in 1918, turned out to be the day on which the fighting stopped in one of France’s (and the World’s) worst wars.

   

    For many Christians, November also brings All Saints Day, followed by All Souls Day.  For Albanians, it brings Independence Day, followed by Liberation Day.  For Americans, it brings Thanksgiving Day, followed (very often) by indigestion.

 

    It is, of course, another in this foursome of mis-named months, running ninth in a race in which it is forever doomed to finish eleventh.  NOVEMBER – named for the Latin word for ‘ninth’ since this was originally the ninth month of the Roman calendar.   And Nine (Novem in Latin) is another of those mysterious numbers with supposedly special powers.  We invoke Nine Stitches Saved (by one taken in time), Nine Day’s Wonders, and Nine Points of the Law.  Cats are said to have Nine Lives (although humans have to gestate for Nine Months just to get one).

 

    Notable days in November include the following:

November 1.  All Saints Day, many Protestant churches and also those of the Roman Catholic and Anglican faith keep this day as a celebration of all the Christian saints-mort particularly for those who have no special feast days of their own. - Texas Independence in 1835 – U.S. Weather Bureau begins operations in 1870 – First Aloha Week Parade in Hawaii in 1947.

 

This is a lovely prayer for the November 1^st celebration of All Saints’ Day:

 

We thank Thee, O God, for all the saints of all ages;

for those who, in times of darkness, kept the

lamp of faith burning; for the great souls who

saw visions of great truth and dared to declare

it; for the multitude of quiet and gracious souls

whose presence has purified and sanctified the

world; and for those known and loved by us

who have passed from this earthly fellowship

into the fuller light of life with Thee….Amen.

 

November 2.  All Souls’ Day (Roman Catholic) this day commemorates the souls of all the faithful departed who are believed to be in purgatory. - Dakota admitted 1889 – World’s first TV broadcast service inaugurated by BBC in London 1936 – LA Lakers’ Magic Johnson announces his retirement from MBA in 1992.

 

November 3.   First national automobile show opens in Madison Square Gardens in 1900 – 1^st Saturday in November, is Sadie Hawkins Day; spinsters could chase bachelors and, if caught the men were obligated to marry the women who trapped them, began in 1930. - Pres. Nixon appeals for the first time to “the great silent majority’ 1969.  Culture Day in Japan – National Day in Dominica Federated States of Micronesia/Panama.

 

November 4.  Birthdate of Walter Cronkite 1916 – Howard Carter discovers the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922 – Greece liberated in 1944,

 

November 5.  Birth of Guru Nanak Dav Ji , founder of Sikh Panth (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh faith – Guy Fawkes Day in 1605, Guy Fawkes tried to blow up a government building in London where King James and his leaders were due to meet, because he believed that the king treated Roman Catholics unfairly.  However, the plot was discovered and Guy Fawkes was hanged. In Newfoundland, the 5^th IS KNOWN AS Bonfire Night, as well immigrants from the West Indies use this night as a celebration of some fun and fireworks.  - John Hanson elected 1^st ‘Pres. Of U.S.’ in Congress assembly, 8 years before Washington election 1781 – Revolutionary Army disbanded 1783 – Beast Butler born 1818 – Former world chess champion B. Fischer beats B. Spanky whom he beat 20 years before.

 

November 6.  National Kindness Day (relevant to Australia) is held on this day every year and is the beginning of a 16 day celebration devoted to kindness and unity. - First fire engine arrives in Hawaii 1850 - First parliament in Canada opens in Ottawa in 1867 - Red Cloud signed Peace Treaty in 1868. – In 2001, the United Nations General Assembly declared this day as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.

 

November 7.  The first Melbourne Cup was run in 1861 at Flemington Race Course in Victoria and has been run every year since.  At 3:10 At AEST, on the first Tuesday in November, Australians everywhere stop to listen to or watch one of the world’s most famous horse race. - Verney Cameron first European to cross equatorial Africa from sea to sea in 1875 – GIs landed in Africa 1942 – Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt is re-elected to an unprecedented 4^th term in 1944.

 

November 8.  Fine art museum, The Louvre, opens to the public in Paris 1793 – Insect electrocution device patented 1910.

 

November 9.   Independence Day in Cambodia - Puritans reach Cape Cod, begin to explore coast in 1620 – CIO organized in 1935 – Dylan Thomas died in 1953 – Giant power failure in the N.E. States and Ontario, Canada in 1965.

 

November 10.  Marine Corps. Established in 1775 – Stanley meets Dr. Livingston, he presumes, in Central Africa 1871 – First long distance telephone call without operator assistance 1951.

 

November 11. Independence Day in Poland – National Day in Angola - Chrysanthemums introduced into England from China in 1790 –Washington admitted as the 42^nd state in 1889. - Armistice Day 1918, The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the moment when fighting ceased on the Western front marking the end of World War 1.  In 1931 the Canadian Parliament changed the name from Armistice Day to Remembrance Day and made the day November 11^th a legal holiday.  This was changed in the USA on May 24, 1954 by an act of Congress and signed into law on June 1, 1954 by President Eisenhower.  On the very first Armistice Day, journalist George Honey, an Australian, called for 2 minutes of silence as the peace treaty was signed.  The tradition of a “Great Silence” is continued today.  There are also numerous parades held on this day and flags are flown in public places.  Artificial poppies are sold by Veterans on this day.  They are symbols of the soldiers who have not died in vain.  Many ceremonies at tombs of soldiers take place on this day.  The Canadian poet John McCrae wrote the poem that has come to symbolize this day. His immortal lines still move me to tears.

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place, and in the sky,

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

 

We are the dead.  Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high,

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, tho’ poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

 

November 11 is the Feast Day of St. Martin of Tours, one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages, he was known for his kindness and generosity.  The feast is also known as Martinmas in many countries in Europe.  Because this day comes after the harvest, when the new wine is ready, St. Martin is considered to be the patron of wine growers and tavern keepers.  Thanks to the harvest is also observed with a feast where goose is the traditional meal.  Swedes know this day as Martin’s Goose Day and some Swedish-Canadians still have a Goose Fest on November 11^th.

 

November 12.  Birth of Baha’u’llah 1817 is known to his followers as the ‘Messenger of God for this Age’. - Jules Leotard designs garment that bears his name in 1859.

 

November 13.  World Kindness Day - Peter Burnett is elected first governor of California in 1849 – Robert Louis Stevenson, author and adventurer, is born today, 1850 – 1^st college football game 1869.

 

November 14.  World Diabetes Day - First streetcar appearance, in NYC in 1832  – Black Bart (Charles E. Bolton), poet outlaw, caught 1883 – First airplane flight from the deck of a ship 1910.

 

November 15.  First postal delivery formally inaugurated 1869 – National Broadcasting Co. goes on the air, with 24 stations 1926.

 

November 16.  UNESCO’s International Day of Tolerance -Patent issued to N.E. Guerin for cork-filled life preserver 1841 – Oklahoma admitted 1907 – Roman Catholic Church issued new catechism to replace the 400-year-old text in 1992.

 

November 17.  Congress convenes for its first Washington DC session in 1800 – Suez Canal opens 1869.

 

November 18.  Independence Day Latvia/Morocco – National Day in Oman - Mickey Mouse first drawn in 1928 – Main span of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is joined 1936 – Government begins antitrust proceedings against DuPont Chemicals 1952.

 

November 19.  National Day in Monaco - Christopher Columbus discovers Puerto Rico, 1493 – Earthquake in Morocco kills 25,000 people 1755 – Jay Treaty 1794 – Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address 1863.

 

November 20.   Baby born on the Mayflower 1620 – Otto Von Guericke, inventor of the air pump is born today, 1602 – The State Department institutes requirement of photographs for passports, 1914. - The Universal Day for Children, the United Nations General Assembly designates Universal Children’s Day it is a day when children are honoured by special ceremonies and festivals to make children’s needs known to governments.  It is observed on different days in different ways in more that 120 countries, in 1953

 

November 21.  ULTIMATE BIRTH OF Cunard Lines with the birth of Sir Samuel Cunard, 1787 – North Carolina admitted 1789 – General Hood invaded Tennessee in 1864 – World’s longest suspension bridge, Verrazanno Narrows, opens in NTC area, 1864. – World Hello Day is the 34^th annual day.  Anyone can participate simply by greeting ten people and is observed in 180 countries, it was begun in 1973

- World Television Day, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed this day as focusing on issues such as peace, security, economic and social development and enhancement of cultural exchanges in 1996.

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November 22. Thanksgiving Day (USA 1621) An interesting historical note shows that of the 151 pilgrims who set forth on the Mayflower, only 51 sat down on the first Thanksgiving dinner, the other half of the group lay buried on a nearby hill, victims of disease and privation. It was first proclaimed by President George Washington in 1789 as a day for public prayer and thanksgiving.  Today Thanksgiving is a time for family reunions and traditions, the most popular, of course, being the elaborate dinners featuring turkey and its many accompaniments. The day is symbolised by the Cornucopia, the horn of plenty.

 

Come ye, thankful people, come,

Raise the song of harvest home!

All is safely gathered in,

Ere, the winter storms begin;

God, our maker doth provide

For our wants to be supplied;

Come to God’s own temple, come,

Raise the song of harvest home!

 

 - Independence Day in Lebanon - Charles de Gaulle, French President, is born today, 1890 – President Roosevelt set fourth and edict declaring the fourth Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving in 1941. - President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963.

 

November 23.  British evacuate New York in 1783 – Franklin Pierce, 14^th president from 1853 to 1857, is born, 1804 – Sharp jolt causes Lake Merced to drop 30 feet in 1852.

 

November 24. Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day (162101675) was the ninth of ten Sikh gurus, he was executed in Delhi for upholding the Sikh faith and pursuing the right of religious liberty. - Duquesne burned 1758 – National Rifle Association is incorporated; first president is Major General Ambrose E. Burnside 1871 – Col. McKenzie defeated Sioux in 1876 – Parachutist from 727 over Washington state with $200,000 in ransom, fate is unknown 1971.

 

November 25.  Andrew Carnegie born 1835 – Birth of Carrie Nation , scourge of bartenders and drinkers 1846 – First play-by-play radio broadcast of football game University of Texas vs. Texas A&M in 1920. –International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 1999. – Statehood Day for Bosnia and Herzegovina. - Christmas Fast for the Coptic Orthodox. - National Day in Suriname.

St. Catherine is another popular saint whose feast day is celebrated in November.  Sentenced to death by Emperor Maxentius for her extraordinary success in converting people to Christianity, it is said that she was tortured on a spiked wheel.  Although she was saved by divine intervention, the Emperor then had her beheaded.  Today, there is a firework that spins in pinwheel style throwing off multicoloured lights.  It is known as a Catherine Wheel.  Gymnasts who perform cartwheels are thought to be repeating the motion of St. Catherine on the dreadful wheel of torture.  In Canada, la Sainte-Catherine, celebrated by French Canadians on November 25^th, has it’s own special custom.  A beloved seventeenth-century teacher, Marguerite Bourgeoys, had her students make la tire de la Ste. Catherine (St. Catherine’s taffy) as a way to encourage children to attend school.

 

Saint Catherine’s Pull Taffy

1 cup molasses

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

? cup water

 

1. Grease well a cookie sheet.
2. 2. In a pot, mix together all of the ingredients except the baking soda.
3. 3. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until a teaspoonful of the liquid forms a hard ball when dropped into cold water, or until a candy thermometer reads 240 degrees F or 115 degrees C.
4. Add the baking soda and stir until mixed well.
5. Pour onto the greased cookie sheet.
6. Allow to cool.  When the taffy is cool enough to pick up, smear your hands with butter and pull until the taffy is golden.  Cut taffy into bite-sized pieces.

 

November 26.  First street railway 1832 – Singer Tina Turner is born 1935 – US denies entry to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat so he can address UN general assembly 1988. – Day of the Covenant (Baha’i) Suspension from work is not obligatory on this holy day.

 

November 27.  Magellan rounded the Horn in 1520 –  Birthdate of scientist Anders Celsius, 1701 - Black Kettle killed 1832 – Amnesty offered to French Communists after 2,000 of them are massacred in 1879.

 

November 28.  Post Office established 1783 – Auto racing begins: 6 cars, 55 miles, winner averages 7 mph. in 1895 – This day marks the passing of Abdu’l-Baha, son of Baha’u’llah, the prophet-founder of the Baha’ai Faith in 1921 - – 31 people dismissed in Internal Revenue Service scandal in 1951. – Proclamation of Independence Day in East Timor. – National Day in Albania/Mauritania.

 

November 29.  Sand Creek Massacre 1864 – Byrd flew over South Pacific 1929 – Congress passes Federal Highway Act, crating national highway system of 40,000 miles 1944 – Actress Natalie Wood drowns in boating accident off S. Catalina Island in California, at age 43 in 1981. – International Day for Solidarity with Palestinian People (Palestine).

 

November 30.   Mark Twain born 1835 – Irish author Oscar Wilde dies in Paris in 1900 – Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower announce their engagement, 1967. – Independence Day in Barbados. 

The last day of November is also a feast day.  Scottish, Polish and Persian-Canadians celebrate St. Andrews Day on November 30^th.  One of Christ’s twelve apostles, Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist and the brother of Peter.  St. Andrew’s association with Scotland came about four centuries after his death, when some of his relics were brought to Scotland.  Some Scots also believe that his body was buried on the coast of Fife.  Scottish-Canadians enjoy a dinner on the Saturday closest to November 30^th.  The dinner is much in the manner of a Robbie Burns Day feast, including haggis and “singed Sheep’s head.”  Russians, who say that St. Andrews preached in Moscow in the first century, join the Scots in laying claim to St. Andrew as their patron saint.

    Polish girls have a unique tradition for St. Andrew’s Day.  Andrzyki (or “Andre’s games”) is a kind of fortune-telling that predicts coming romance.  The girls break off dry branches from cherry trees, plant them in wet sand and then tend them with great care.  It is said that if a girl’s branch blooms by Christmas, she will marry within the year.

    The flag of St. Andrew, a white diagonal cross on a blue background, is a part of the Union Jack.

 

 

Hartson S. Dowd

hsdowd@telus.net