Diversity Calendar - November, 2004

November 2004

National American Indian Heritage Month. The term "American Indian" incorporates hundreds of different tribes and approximately 250 languages. Starting in 1976 as Native American Awareness Week, the period was expanded by Congress and approved by President Bush in August 1990 by designating the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month. In his proclamation for 1996, President Clinton noted, "Throughout our history, American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have been an integral part of the American character. Against all odds, America's first peoples have endured, and they remain a vital cultural, political, social, and moral presence." For more information, contact the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 202-219-4150.
(Also see discussion under Notes on Calendar Entries.)

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November 1

Children's Day : Panama*. Public holiday.

All Saints Day : Christian. Catholic and Orthodox Christians celebrate the memory of the Christian saints and martyrs, and also of family members who have died. In many countries, including Spain, Mexico and Poland it is a public holiday. People visit family graves. Russians often take vodka and snacks with them, making the occasion joyful as well as solemn. In Mexico, the holiday is called Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, It is one of the most important and dramatic holidays of the year. It is a Roman Catholic holy day of obligation.

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) : Mexico. Beginning on the evening of October 31 and celebrated through November 2 by Mexicans and Mexican Americans, this holiday has its roots in two traditions: the Christian observance of All Saints and All Souls Day, and two Aztec festivals on which the souls of the dead were welcomed back to visit those who remembered them. Central to the observance is the creation of an ofrenda, or altar, in the home, with flowers, foods, and favorite possessions to honor the memory of deceased loved ones and to welcome their visiting souls. The holiday is celebrated with family and community gatherings, music, and feasting, and the festivity of its observance acknowledges death as an integral part of life.

Samhain: Pagan and Wiccan. Samhain, the most important of the major sabbats, marks the end of the third and final harvest in the Wheel of the Year. It is a time to remember the dead and to celebrate the cycle of life. Samhain emphasizes the triumph of life over death. Since the new Celtic year began at dusk on October 31, the Eve of Samhain (Oidhche Shamhna) was the most important part of the ancient Celtic holiday. The fruits of the harvest were gathered for a feast and each village had a great bonfire. This was a holy time when it was believed that our world came together with the otherworld in the gap in time between the old and new years. During this time, it was believed that the souls of the dead would revisit their earthly homes, so food and drink were left out for them. Turnips carved with spirit guardians were set outside people’s doors to protect them from any unfriendly spirits, while young people, dressed in disguises, pretended to be the returning dead or spirits from the otherworld. Divination rituals were performed since the veil between present and future was then at its most transparent. Since it was believed that the break in time loosened the structure of society, people flouted convention and played tricks on one another. A number of the symbols and customs of Samhain, such as the lighted carved pumpkin, wearing costumes, and playing pranks, have been retained in the evolution of Halloween.