October

Diversity Awareness Month

 

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual History Month

October was selected because the first and second Marches of Washington for lesbian and gay rights were held in this month in1979 and 1987.  National Coming Out Day (October 11) provided an additional reason for choosing this month. 

 

October is also National Disability Employment Awareness Month.  This began with the Presidential Proclamation of Public Law 100-630 (Title 111, Sec 301a) in 1988.  This law replaced National Employ the Handicapped Week, which had occurred annually since 1945 during the first week of October.  The new law also recognized a change in terminology and replaced “handicap” with “disability.”

 

October 6

Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.  The observance is also known as the Day of Atonement since the events of Yom Kippur focus on asking and granting forgiveness for one’s transgressions.  Yom Kippur falls at the end of the ten Days of Penitence, which begin with Tosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment.

 

October 11

National Coming Out Day is an international event, which gives gay, lesbian and bisexual people the opportunity to “come out” to others about their sexuality.  It also provides a means of increasing the visibility of gay people.  In the United States, the day is facilitated by the Human Rights Campaign’s National Coming Out Project (NCOP).  The first National Coming Out Day was held on October 11, 1988.

 

October 11-17

Sukkot, also know as Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles.  It is the third Pilgrimage festival mentioned in the Old Testament and is a holiday of joy and happiness.  Sukkot also signifies a thanksgiving for the harvest.  

 

October 13

Columbus Day was first celebrated on October 12, 1792 to honor the day Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492.  One hundred years later, it was celebrated again at the urging of President Benjamin Harrison.  Since 1920, it has been celebrated annually and, in 1971, became a federal legal holiday to be celebrated on the second Monday in October.

 

October 18

In ancient Israel, Shemini Atzeret coincided with the beginning of the rainy season.  Accordingly, prayers for rain and good crops were recited.  Many Orthodox Jews still recite the ancient prayers at this time.

 

October 19

Simhat Torah literally means “rejoicing in the Torah” and represents the culmination of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret.  It is a joyous celebration, which concludes the annual cycle of the reading of the Torah, the first five books of the bible.

 

October 25

Diwali is a five-day Hindu festival, which occurs on the fifteenth day of Kartika.  Diwali means “rows of lighted lamps” and the celebration is often referred to as the Festival of Lights.  During this time, homes are thoroughly cleaned and windows are opened to welcome Laksmi, goddess of wealth.  Candles and lamps are lit as a greeting to Laksmi. Gifts are exchanged and festive meals are prepared during Diwali.  The celebration means as much to Hindus as Christmas does to Christians.

 

October 26

Day Light Saving Time ends

In an effort to conserve resources for the efforts of World War I, Congress approved a law that altered each U.S. time zone’s standard time by moving clocks ahead by one hour.  The plan, known as Day Light Saving Time (DST) lasted only seven months and was very unpopular because most Americans at the time awoke earlier and went to bed later than we do now.  The law was eventually repealed.

In the early stages of World War II, Congress decided to return the country to DST in order to conserve energy.  During this period, the United State observed DST continuously from February 2, 1942 until September 30, 1945.

Following the war, states and municipalities were allowed to observe DST at their discretion.   In 1966 Congress enacted the Uniform Time Act.  The law simply states that if DST is going to be observed, it must be done in a uniform manner.  The Act established the beginning of DST as the last Sunday of April and the end of DST as the last Sunday of October.  In 1986, an amendment  (Public Law 99-359) to the Act changed the beginning date to the first Sunday in April.

States and territories who do not observe DST include Arizona, Hawaii, the Eastern Time Zone section of Indiana, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

 

October 26

Ramadan is the most sacred holiday of the Muslin year and is mandated by the Qur’an (2:183).  It occurs in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is the holy month of fasting.  Fasting is considered to be the third pillar or religious obligation of Islam and provides many benefits including learning self-control. This results for a lace of preoccupation with satisfying bodily appetites during the daylight hours.  Ramadan is a time of worship, reading the Qur’an, charitable acts, and the purification of individual behavior.  This is also the time in which the Qur’an was revealed to Mohammed as guidance for the people.

 

October 27

Most Protestant Christians observe Reformation Day in honor of Martin Luther and other Christians who removed false doctrine and destructive practices from the Christian church.

 

 

October 31   

Halloween is an annual festival, which takes place on October 31 and has its roots in pagan customs.  In ancient times, the Celtic new year, November 1, was preceded the night before by Samhain Eve.  The Celts believed that on the eve of Samhain, the spirits of the dead return to earth.

 

Later, when Christianity began to take hold many of the Celtic customs were adapted by Christians.  In the 800’s (C.E.) Pope Boniface IV established All Saint’s Day by modifying the pagan celebration of the dead into a celebration of the saints and martyrs of the Catholic Church.   This day was celebrated with the Allhollowmas and the night before was called All Hallow E’en.