- Thanksgiving
Okay, here’s the obvious one. Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans and countless other delicious food items? Family time? Sports camaraderie? This holiday is built for a bit of relaxation and food therapy, two things meal point-dependent, stressed out college kids desperately need. Not to mention three whole days off from class? It’s a dream come true.
2. Rain/Snow
Some might count this as a negative, but it’s hard to beat the sweet smell of rain hitting pavement or the pleasant sound of rain falling softly against a window as you curl up with a cup of hot apple cider and some gentle music. (More on that later)
3. Release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
For every Harry Potter reader, watcher, amusement park-goer and butterbeer-drinker comes the latest installment in the universe: the legendary Eddie Redmayne and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. As an avid Harry Potter fan of all sorts, I, for one, can’t wait. If for some reason you still haven’t read or seen any of this fantastic franchise, drop whatever you’re doing and catch up. Trust me, it’s worth it.
4. Midterms
Jk lol no.
5. 1 month from Christmas!
Christmas songs, holiday cheer, the promise of more family time and entire month off from the stress of papers, tests, quizzes and club meetings? We can all have hope for a better tomorrow thanks to the proximity of Christmas.
6. Macy’s Parade
True, this is tied in with Thanksgiving but in can stand on its own as an excellent part of the November lineup. What’s not to love about massive Snoopy soaring over New York City? Even for people who don’t like parades, this one is pure magic. No arguments.
7. Black Friday
For the shoppings savants, this is the best day of the year. No one will judge you for stepping on toes to get the last TV, or making little kids cry in the name of scoring the top notch blender you’ve had your eye on for months. This is the closest we’ll get to The Purge so take advantage of the lawlessness and go for it.
8. Cyber Monday
The tamer, couch potato version of Black Friday. For people like me who haven’t bothered to actually go “shopping” unless forced by a parent, Cyber Monday offers the deals of Black Friday without the black eyes. Only downside is you might not be able to prove how much of a savage you are. Guess people will have to find out some other way.
9. Decorations
Suddenly you might begin to see cartoon turkeys popping up in random places, cornucopias adorning previously bare ledges, and roughly cut out leaves spicing up bare walls. Though there isn’t much to decorate for Thanksgiving, particularly compared to the much flashier holidays that bookend it, people try. And it’s festive.
10. NaNoWriMo
A little lesser known, this is a challenge that happens every November. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel using only the 30 days in November. From 12:01am on November 1st to 11:59pm November 30th, you become a writing machine. This is perfect for the type of people who always claimed they’d write a novel some day. Really? Well, do it! Visit www.nanowrimo.com for more information.
11. Daylight Savings Time
Last but not least, the sweet promise of “fall back” is another wondrous element of November. An extra hour to do with as you wish. Sleep? Music? Partying? Finishing an essay due in the morning? You got it. Unless you live in Arizona, then you’re out of luck.
Even though Halloween is over, November has a lot to be thankful for, too.
