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November Observances National Native American Heritage Day & Month Transgender Awareness Month & Transgender Day of Remembrance Transgender Awareness Month, observed every November, is centered around uplifting and raising awareness about the biases and discrimination issues that transgender and gender non-conforming people endure on an ongoing basis. While November is Transgender Awareness Month, November 13 – 19 is Trans Awareness Week, which is a week of advocacy and education spotlighting the struggles of trans people with Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) held on November 20, memorializing the lives of trans people who have had their lives lost to transphobic violence. The concept for Trans Awareness Week was initially conceived in 1999 after trans activist Gwendolyn Smith created a web project/online memorial titled ‘Remembering our Dead’ after the killing of Rita Hester, a Black trans woman, in 1998. In 1999, during the 1st anniversary of Hester’s death, locals held a candlelit vigil in her memory. Soon after, the day became an annual tradition, leading to the creation of an annual Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR), dedicated to all the trans people who’ve lost their lives to unjust violence. The observance quickly spread over the internet & internationally over the course of the next decade, globally honoring the lives of all trans women and men. Throughout the week leading up to TDOR, several local organizations, activists, and allies will host public discussions and panels, deliver public statements, and organize awareness-centered events to honor those who have passed in the trans community, including various medium- to large-scale memorial vigils across the nation. Several landmarks in NYC are typically lit up in the colors of the Trans Pride flag, which features pink, light blue, and white, including the World Trade Center, Empire State Plaza, and Grand Central Terminal’s Pershing Square Viaduct, as well as several other municipal buildings. Day of the Dead Day of the Dead, also known as Día de los Muertos, is a two-day holiday from November 1-2, typically celebrated in Mexico and occasionally in other Latin American countries. The Day of the Dead honors late family members and friends and embraces the idea of death with peace and acceptance. Some people show respect through altars, also known as ofrendas in Spanish, which are typically set up alongside photos of their late family member, food, and flowers when visiting their gravesite. The origins of Day of the Dead date back thousands of years to pre-colonial native Indigenous populations, such as the Aztec and Nahua, who practiced similar rituals to honor their deceased ancestors. Following their colonization by the Spanish and the introduction of Catholicism, the holiday slowly merged with similar Spanish-based holidays, such as “All Saints’ Day” and “All Souls’ Day,” leading to Dia de Los Muertos being celebrated on November 1st and 2nd instead. Dia de Los Muertos in NYC this year will have a selection of community-based events, such as El Museo del Barrio’s ‘Super Sabado’ celebration, featuring art workshops, face painting, altar building, as well as live performances in music and art. Other events include those hosted by the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Wave Hill in the Bronx, and Green-Wood Cemetery. Veterans Day Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11. It honors military veterans of the United States Armed Forces and marks the end of World War I, which formally ended at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. It is observed as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day in countries such as Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, and many others. Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day, another US federal holiday, as it commemorates the service of all U.S. veterans. At the same time, Memorial Day (observed on the last Monday of May) explicitly honors those who have died while in military service. Another military holiday in May, Armed Forces Day, honors those serving in the U.S. military. Additionally, Women's Veterans Day is recognized on June 12 in several states across the US, marking the anniversary of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, a law signed by President Harry S. Truman on June 12, 1948, that allowed women to serve as permanent members of the U.S. military. International Men’s Day International Men’s Day (IMD) is celebrated annually on November 19th, acknowledging the impact and contributions of men in the community, family, and interpersonal relationships. Its primary focus is on disavowing toxic masculinity, uplifting kind and righteous male role models in local communities and abroad, maintaining and affirming positive gender relations and equality, and emphasizing the importance of men’s mental health. International Men’s Day was initially established in 1999, in Trinidad and Tobago, by a history professor named Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh at the University of the West Indies. Dr. Teelucksingh chose November 19th specifically to honor his late father, as it was his birthday. The idea of a Men’s Day has been in conversation across the globe since at least the 1960s, but was revived and revitalized by Dr. Teelucksingh’s efforts, leading to it becoming an observance recognized by over 80 countries and endorsed by organizations such as the United Nations and UNESCO. International Men’s Day is typically celebrated through public events, panel discussions, and mental health awareness events worldwide, including in NYC. Nonprofits like The Good Men Project, the Men’s Health Network, and HeadsUpGuys also host workshops and discussions, primarily centered on men and their emotional/mental health, work-life balance, prioritizing empathy, respect, and awareness surrounding suicide. Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Day is observed on the fourth Thursday of November and is a national holiday dedicated to gratitude, celebrating friends and family, and embracing community. Beyond the traditional autumn-tinged imagery and food associated with the holiday, the holiday also serves as a catalyst that cultivates dialogue surrounding the historical contexts of the holiday, especially from the perspectives of Indigenous communities. The tradition of modern American Thanksgiving dates to the 1621 feast shared by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag. However, earlier Thanksgiving gatherings—often with religious intentions, such as celebrating safe journeys or successes—also took place. Over time, the story of Thanksgiving has been reimagined as a harmonious event between Native Americans and European settlers. Still, this narrative is often inaccurate and typically overlooks the Wampanoag perspective. Thanksgiving wasn’t declared a federal holiday until 1863, when then-President Lincoln proclaimed it a holiday to foster unity during the Civil War. In 1941, Congress finalized and officially set the date as every fourth Thursday of November. Besides Thanksgiving family meals, the holiday is typically celebrated with large, bustling parades, such as the classic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which has been in operation for over 100 years. NYC also hosts an array of community events, such as free food drives/freshly made Thanksgiving dinners, as well as volunteer operations like those conducted by City Harvest and The Bowery Mission. In recent years, some people have also chosen to observe the National Day of Mourning alongside Thanksgiving to honor the Native Americans’ loss and remember the injustice that preceded and followed the arrival of European settlers. |