15 Fun October Holidays to Celebrate This Month

October holidays bring a refreshing wave of celebrations that highlight the importance of kindness, awareness and community. From honoring animals and promoting child health to fostering mental well-being and environmental consciousness, these observances provide a unique chance to reflect on the values that connect us all. Each of the October holidays invites us to embrace compassion and gratitude, encouraging us to take meaningful action in our relationships with others and the world around us.

Appreciate animals in our lives (World Animal Day)

October 4 – By Xiaotong Meng

Relationships are a two-way street. Our acts of sincerity and kindness can be transmitted by simply helping others, whether they are animals or humans.

October 4 is World Animal Day, which aims to enhance awareness and improve the welfare of animals.

This celebration fell for the first time in Berlin by Heinrich Zimmerman, the publisher of German animal lovers’ magazine.

Additionally, today is also called the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, a day where we acknowledge his compassion for all the animals and living things.

No matter what animal you like, in the moment of looking at them, you can see the pure light in their eyes. At the same time, those lovely animals can also feel your love toward them.

When an animal rests their little head on your hands, arms or shoulders, you can certainly find that life is worth living.

Today not only makes us love our own animals, but also allows us to care for the balance of our ecosystems.

Support each child staying safe and healthy (Child Health Day)

First Monday of October – By Xiaotong Meng

The first Monday of October is National Child Health Day, which was proclaimed by President Clavin Coolidge in 1928 to call on people to take care of children’s health.

Before the mid 19th century, there were not enough facilities dedicated to treat the wellness of children. 

By the 1860s, the hospitals started to establish specialized clinics for children. They also provided food and clothes to those who cannot afford them.

The philosophy of these hospitals was that even though some parents made bad choices, the children were innocent, and it was not their fault.

In the late 19th century, children’s hospitals became more common across the country. The healthcare system improved a lot when more and more kids were being cared for.

These young generations are the hope of the future, so we need to always look after the health of each child.

Get your body movin’ today (Walk To School Day)

First Wednesday of October – By Xiaotong Meng

Each year on the first Wednesday in October, it is International Walk To School Day.

This annual holiday was first launched in Britain in the early 1990s. In 1997, a business called a Walkable America started to promote this event in North America.

October has the best cool weather, which offers students around the globe an opportunity to walk to school and get some exercises.

The mission of this celebration is to create a better environment and community, enjoy physical activity to stay healthy, and solve the traffic congestion issue.

Therefore, use today to take a walk with your friends and breathe in some fresh air on a beautiful morning.

Dear coach, your positive influence on me will always go above and beyond (National Coaches Day)

October 6 – By Xiaotong Meng

Sports are a crucial part for each person’s growth and development, both physically and mentally. 

By participating in different sports teams, you will not only meet some life-long relationships with your teammates, but you will also gain a wide variety of skills and experiences.

However, all the extraordinary achievements in our athletic career cannot be reached without supportive and enthusiastic coaches standing behind us.

October 6 is National Coaches Day.

Take advantage of today to express gratitude for all your amazing coaches. You can give them a bouquet of flowers, write an appreciation letter, get them a FrontPage Story or just easily stop by their office and say “thank you.”

Forget grievances and welcome a new day (Forgiveness and Happiness Day)

October 7 – By Xiaotong Meng

Forgiving someone does not mean that you are weak. On the contrary, it turned out to be the best way to heal a fractured relationship.

October 7, which is National Forgiveness & Happiness Day, reminds us to let all the negativities go away and embrace happiness.

Robert Moyers and the Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance created this religiously related holiday, with the purpose of “to do the will of God each day and to love one another as God loves us”.

Moreover, the organization also came up with the idea of asking God to provide us the courage and strength to forgive other people.

If you do not believe in God, that is okay, but today is very important to you as well.

Forgiveness might become one of the hardest things for many people, but only if we let things go, will we obtain more energy to meet eternal joy.

Delivering happiness in your everyday life (Spread Joy Day)

October 11 – By Xiaotong Meng

Currently, our lives are overloaded with work and social media, which is exactly what the CEO of a business in Seattle Laura Jennings thought.

For the purpose of changing such a mind-blowing situation, Jennings and her team developed the National Spread Joy Day on October 11.

Our brain cannot work like a computer all the time, so everyone will need a short break from the workplace once in a while.

This holiday motivates people to do some light-hearted activities and enjoy every moment of their lives. Do not let negativities drive you down.

Utilize today to surprise your friends or colleagues with a little gift or a cup of coffee. Keep in mind to always laugh a lot and look on the good side of things.

Agriculture is changing people’s lives (Farmers Day)

October 12 – By Xiaotong Meng

Agriculture is one of the largest industries in the world. From food, clothing, fibers to oil, plastics and other energy resources, we would become naked and hungry without farming.

Each year on October 12 is Farmers Day, glorifying the constant hard work of farmers throughout the year, with the purpose of fueling people’s bodies and making our life more convenient.

Choosing the date of October 12 because it is the end of the traditional harvest season. Farmers can take a short break and join different festivals to celebrate it.

Now you have learned about the purpose of this holiday, how do we join this year’s celebration?

Firstly, you can shop at a farmer’s market to get some organic products while supporting their business is a double-win. Secondly, you can become your own farmer, just by growing a mini garden in your backyard.

Most important of all, remember to thank a farmer today for their countless efforts.

English — an international universal language (English Language Day)

October 13 – By Xiaotong Meng

On October 13, 1362, Parliament spoke for the first time in English instead of French, which allowed other members to use English language and applied it to the formulation of laws.

In 2009, The English Project set up English Language Day on October 13, in honor of the notable contribution of Parliament.

Since North America has been colonized by many other countries in the early years, the English language has borrowed many words from different languages, such as German, French, Greek, Latin and more.

The diversity of English has allowed it to adopt new words, grammar and spellings, making it the most spoken language across the world.

So, today we celebrate the long history of the English language and its dominant role in our culture.

I love you til the world ends (I Love You Day)

October 14 – By Xiaotong Meng

Unlike Valentine’s Day, October 14’s National I Love You Day opens up to everyone.

Whereas Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate your boo, National I Love You Day is different.

On this day, you can demonstrate your love not only to your significant other, but also to your family and friends. This is also a great day to demonstrate your love for the people you value most in your life.

You should be saying this universal phrase to the people who matter most on a daily basis. However, National I Love You Day is here to remind you to do so today.

This holiday evolved from a Filipino romantic drama film with the hashtag #EverydayILoveYou. When the label first appeared on Twitter, it gained massive support nationwide, which progressively developed into another hashtag #NationalILoveYouDay.

Of course, it seems like every day there is a quirky holiday of some sort. However, there are not too many that are truly as meaningful as National I Love You Day.

What started as a Twitter trend has transcended into so much more. We now have a day that is centered around loving the people who mean the most to you, which is more than we can say about most of these other made-up holidays.

Love stories are strong and iconic, and how this holiday came about is just as ironic as these love stories. It shows that many Twitter trends don’t die and that we should be celebrating our loved ones every single day.

Today it is the right moment for us to express love and gratitude by putting it into just three simple words… “I love you.” Saying I love you to the right person will make someone’s day… just don’t tell them you are inclined to do so because the holiday calendar insists.

Stop bullying and harassment (Day of Unity)

Third or fourth Wednesday of October – By Xiaotong Meng

Every October is National Bullying Prevention Month. On the third or fourth Wednesday of this month is Day of Unity, one of the anti-bullying movements.

Bullying, an aggressive behavior that involves power imbalance. This phenomenon not only appears among schools and children, but also in the animal world.

Since the rise of hunter-gatherer culture many years ago, the trend of insulting someone who is weak or small began to be common.

Slowly but surely, we can see that browbeat and harassment happen everywhere — school, workplace or even on the street.

As a result, the Minnesota-based PACER claimed the National Bullying Prevention Month campaign in 2011, in order to make children feel safe at school.

On this day, you can wear something orange, engage in different activities to show your support and fight against bullying.

Resolve conflicts and move on to the next step (Conflict Resolution Day)

Third Thursday of October – By Xiaotong Meng

Yes, you read correctly. The third Thursday of October every year is Cranky Co-Workers Day to celebrate your colleagues’ bad, grumpy moods in the office.

Have you ever noticed that there are always some of your co-workers who are very grouchy all the time?

Do not freak out. On this day, you can become exceedingly negative and join those irritated people to have some fun, or just simply let them be.

Imagine when you walk into the office with a stern face, complain about every little thing and get crabby. How would your co-workers react? Today is absolutely the best moment for you to give it a try.

Eat Your Greens (National Food Day)

October 24 – By Nathaniel Chambers

Today is National Food Day, which is not a day to celebrate all foods. No, it’s a day to celebrate and encourage healthy eating.

Unfortunately, over the years unhealthy eating has become way more common, and it leads to a whole heaping of weight issues among everything else. Part of why unhealthy eating has become so common is because it is much cheaper to buy junk food than healthy food.

Regardless, that should not stop us from being able to eat our vegetables. There are many options out there – including food subscriptions and food assistance programs – that can help you get back on the right track and start eating healthy again.

And no, this is by no means meant to shame people for eating ice cream or brownies on a nightly basis. It is, however, meant to be a reminder that we can all make a better effort to eat healthier at times. Heck, I’m speaking to myself just as much as everyone else.

That said, on National Food Day let’s remember that healthy eating is good for our hearts and good for our health. So let’s pick up an apple today and keep the doctor away.

Keep your lungs staying strong (Lung Health Day)

Fourth Wednesday of October – By Xiaotong Meng

Because of the large amount of harmful gas emissions entering into the air, many people are diagnosed with chronic lung diseases and cancerous growths.

October is the National Health Lung Month. And the fourth Wednesday of October turned into Lung Health Day.

This day was observed by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) in 2003. Each year over 10 million people are suffering from lung-related diseases, with lung cancer becoming the top killer of human health.

We cannot live more than a minute without air. It is extremely important that our lungs function properly. In this way, keeping a healthy lifestyle with regular lung checkups can prevent many illnesses ahead of time.

Also, if you consume cigarettes or other tobacco products, try to quit them and make other healthier decisions.

My mood today: cranky (Cranky Co-Workers Day)

October 27 – By Xiaotong Meng

Yes, you read correctly. October 27 is Cranky Co-Workers Day to celebrate your colleagues’ bad, grumpy moods in the office.

Have you ever noticed that there are always some of your co-workers who are very grouchy all the time?

Do not freak out. On this day, you can become exceedingly negative and join those irritated people to have some fun, or just simply let them be.

Imagine when you walk into the office with a stern face, complain about every little thing and get crabby. How would your co-workers react? Today is absolutely the best moment for you to give it a try.

Trick or treat?

October 31 – By Xiaotong Meng

October 31, undoubtedly, is the creepiest holiday of the year: Halloween.

On this day, children usually dress up as their favorite characters, go around the neighborhood trick-or-treating. At the same time, ghostly decorations will fill each house, including spiders and webs, witchers’ hats as well as a variety of pumpkins.

The origin of Halloween can be dated back before the 16th century and draws from its early Christian past. In old Scottish, the word “Hallowe’en” represented “All Hallows’ Evening”, which was the day before praising all the Catholic Church’s heavenly saints.

Around the 8th Century, the Chrisitans would honor the dead on Nov 2, thus the night before became the widely known Hallows Eve.

After all, the Hallows Day was moved up a day, October 31 developed into All Hallows Eve until today.

In the 19th century, Halloween increasingly spread in the United States. By the 1920s and 30s, a great deal of parades and events took place across the country. Later on, this day became a major holiday for the children by the 1950s.

Nowadays, Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday nationwide with over $6 million being spent each year.

Halloween makes all of us get to be kids again, so be sure to throw several different costume parties, knock on your neighbors’ doors to gain some candies, or watch a horror movie with your best friends or family members.

Conclusion

As we enjoy the October holidays, we are reminded of the power of small acts of kindness and the importance of nurturing both ourselves and the world we inhabit. Whether it’s showing appreciation for animals, supporting children’s health, or spreading joy, each holiday serves as an opportunity to make a positive difference. By celebrating these October holidays, we can carry their lessons of love, empathy, and awareness into every day, creating a more compassionate and harmonious world for all.