6 November Holidays Celebrated Around the World

Thanksgiving is a celebrated holiday in North America, but it’s not celebrated globally. What are some November holidays from around the world?

Is November a mostly forgotten month when it comes to holiday celebrations, or are other cultures enjoying some wonderful holiday traditions during this month? Most cultures seem to have a December celebration, but not all, and holidays tend to be regional, cultural, or religious in nature. In the United States, November has Veteran’s Day, Election Day, and Thanksgiving. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some other cultures and what they celebrate during the month of November.

Diwali is celebrated in India

The Diwali festival is celebrated in the fall between October and November, and it marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. This celebration typically lasts five days and celebrates the triumph of good over evil with huge celebrations, lavish meals, and amazing fireworks displays. Everyone gets in on the act with homes displaying special clay lamps called Deepavali with vibrant designs made from colored rice, flour, or rangoli. These lamps decorate the entrances to welcome visitors to the home. Diwali is the celebration of family and togetherness, which makes it an important part of India’s culture.

Day of the Dead is a Mexican celebration

Some think of the Day of the Dead as the Mexican version of Halloween, but that’s not the case. This November holiday is celebrated each year on November 2nd and is a celebration of life and death in a unique way compared to Halloween or other celebrations of death. In Mexico, this holiday is celebrated with amazing parties and parades, colorful decorations, and incredible costumes and makeup. These celebrations can be quiet and intimate or loud and festive, depending on how the family chooses to celebrate their lost loved ones and welcome them back to reunite with the living for this one day of celebration.

Loi Krathong is celebrated in Thailand

When you visit Thailand, you’ll think this country is always in celebration mode, but Loi Krathong is special and stands out during November. This holiday is a fall festival with some of the most amazing holiday sights in the world. Small candlelit floats are released into rivers and waterways as an act of exchanging the old for the new. This celebration is often thought of as sending the negativity of the past year away with the river and wishing for good things to come. Sometimes, Loi Krathong and Yi Peng coincide, and the candles match the lanterns of the Yi Peng festival. Although these are two separate holidays, they’re sometimes celebrated together, making for an incredible light show on Thailand’s waterways.

Pirates Week is a celebration in the Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are the centerpiece for many pirate tales, which the area has embraced with a full week of celebration. This November holiday is a party with very few rules but still family-friendly, celebrating the pirate-themed stories surrounding the area. A huge bonfire is lit on Cayman Brac to start the celebration, which can take visitors through the Islands with mock battles and mischief that you’re sure to love and enjoy. As expected, Pirates Week is full of music, firework displays, and amazing food to give this week a true celebration and lots of fun.

Bon Om Touk is celebrated in Cambodia

Bon Om Touk is the Cambodian Water Festival and is celebrated at the end of the rainy season. This celebration also marks an incredible natural phenomenon when the flow reverses in the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. This is one of the biggest celebrations each November in Cambodia. People gather to give thanks to the river, which is viewed as an important source of life. The festivals are centered around the rivers with riverboat races and fireworks displays. Bon Om Touk lasts for three days, with people from all over the country joining in on the fun near the river banks.

Narrentag is celebrated in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria

Imagine the scene from Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and you’ve got the idea of Narrentag or Foolsday. This November holiday is celebrated on November 11 each year across Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. This celebration marks the beginning of the fifth season, which lasts through Lent, which is a time of fasting. You might find it a bit odd that Narrentag, a celebration of excesses and frivolity, is marked with exactly the same date and time as Veteran’s Day in the United States. This celebration is all 11s, making it easy for kids in the region to remember when the party starts.