Fun Facts

October

Now we transition from summer to winter. However, October can often provides pleasant weather here in the UK.

Clocks go back on 25th/26th for British Summer Time. An extra hour of sleep!

October comes from the Latin word "octo" meaning eight, as it was the eighth month in the Old Roman calendar before January and February were added. 

The Anglo-Saxons called October "Winterfylleth," meaning "fullness" of winter. 

Autumnal Equinox: harvest moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, which is why Autumn was known as "Harvest" during the 12th and 13th centuries in England. 

Birthstones & Flower: The birthstones for October are the opal and tourmaline and the birth flower is the calendula. 

Tuesday, 21st October is Apple Day.This is a UK annual celebration of apples and orchards.

Friday, 31st October is Halloween. This originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of summer and the beginning of the dark winter. The Celts believed the boundary between the living and the dead blurred on this night, allowing spirits to return to the mortal world. Traditions like dressing in costumes to ward off spirits, lighting bonfires, and carving pumpkins (originally turnips) evolved from this festival and are now central to the modern holiday, which also includes activities like trick-or-treating. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the cold, dark winter, a time when the world was thought to be more vulnerable. 

As Christianity spread, the church held its own festival on November 1st, All Hallows' Day (or All Saints' Day), to align with the pagan celebration, and October 31st became known as All Hallows' Eve. 

Soul Cakes: A related custom, "souling," saw people offering soul cakes at the doors in exchange for prayers for the deceased, the earliest form of trick-or-treating. 

Modern Traditions:-

Costumes: People wear costumes to both hide from and represent spirits, a tradition dating back to Samhain. 

Bonfires: The large bonfires lit during Samhain to ward off evil spirits have influenced modern traditions. 

Jack-o'-lanterns: The practice of carving scary faces into turnips (and later pumpkins) to frighten away spirits began with the legend of Stingy Jack and remains a prominent symbol of the holiday. 

Trick-or-Treating: This popular activity involves children going door-to-door in costumes.