November Celebration/Holiday
Native American Heritage Month honors Native communities in their cultures and traditions. It is meant to bring awareness to the historical and current struggles of Indigenous people and the atrocities they have endured in their own land. This month was recognized by President George H. W. Bush in 1990.
National Family Caregivers Month was proclaimed in 2012 by former President Barack Obama. It honors the more than forty million caregivers across the country who support aging parents, ill spouses, or other loved ones with disabilities who remain at home.
Additional Important Celebrations in November
November 11th – Veterans Day
In 1918, on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of November, the 11th month, a truce was formed between Germany and the Allied nations. The first Armistice Day was celebrated on November 11th, 1919 for those who served in World War I. After World War II, it became Veterans Day to honor all American veterans.
November 12th: Diwali, the Hindu, Jain, and Sikh five-day festival of lights that celebrates new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.
November 13-19: Transgender Awareness Week, the week before Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, in which people and organizations participate to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face.
November 19th: International Men’s Day, emphasizes the important issues affecting males, including male health issue, improving the relations between genders, highlighting the importance of male role models, and promoting gender equality. This holiday is celebrated in more than seventy countries.
November 20th: Transgender Day of Remembrance, established in 1998 to memorialize those who have been killed as a result of transphobia and raise awareness of the continued violence endured by the transgender community.
November 23rd: Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.
November 24th: Native American Heritage Day, held annually on the Friday after Thanksgiving, encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe and honor Native Americans through appropriate ceremonies and activities. The law establishing the day was signed by President George W. Bush in 2008.