Pumpkins at a local farm market on a glorious October day.
Credit: Cindy StogsdillOctober brings autumn into full swing, and who doesn't love donning a sweater for a walk in the woods, or a stroll through an apple orchard to enjoy the season's bounty? Enjoy our monthly seasonal advice.
Listen! The wind is rising,
And the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings,
Now for October eves!
—Humbert Wolfe (1885-1940)
Calendar
October was the name of the eighth month of the year in the ancient Roman calendar. When the Romans converted to a 12-month calendar, the name October stuck.
On the second Monday in October, the U.S. celebrates Columbus Day (this year it's on the 8th). Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the same day.
October 9 is Leif Eriksson Day. Who was Leif Eriksson and why should we care?
Wrapping up the month is Halloween (All Hallows' Eve) on the 31st!
Recipes for the Season
October kicks off the fall baking season for us!
From pumpkin spice cookies to fresh apple crumble bars, we love the flavors of the harvest!
See five of our favorite baking recipes.
For 118 scrumptious baked goods recipes, see our brand-new Everyday Baking Cookbook!
Gardening
October is all about storage. Check our tips on storing vegetables, fruits, and herbs as well as information on root cellars.
If you're interested in growing pumpkins for next Halloween, see our Pumpkin planting page.
Review our full gardening calendar for a list of what to do in the October garden.
Everyday Advice
Check out these pages for advice and facts about our favorite orange vegetable:
How to Cook and Clean Pumpkins
Dealing with Pumpkin Sprawl (podcast)
History of Carving Halloween Pumpkins (video)
Astronomy
The crescent Moon hovers to the right of Venus on the 12th and then, in its spooky football-shaped gibbous phase, floats above Jupiter on Halloween.
For more highlights of the night sky, see our October 2012 Sky Watch.
October's Full Hunter's Moon is on the 29th. See October Moon dates, folklore, and more!
Folklore
- When deer are in a gray coat in October, expect a hard winter.
- Much rain in October, much wind in December.
- A warm October means a cold February.
- In October dung your field, and your land its wealth shall yield.
From The Old Farmer's Almanac: Sign up to receive a FREE guide (A $4.95 value!) plus updates from Almanac.com.
Comments
I need to have a tooth pulled
I need to have a tooth pulled and I want to know when the sign are below the bowels. Maybe I should say whenthe best time to have it pulled.
I live in upstate South
I live in upstate South Carolina. When is best fall dates/days to plant trees?
In the South, you can plant
In the South, you can plant containerized trees all year. But the best time to plant any tree, whether in a container, bare rooted, or balled-and-burlapped, is after it has gone dormant in fall because it is less stressful for the plant. (For deciduous trees, a sign that the plant has gone dormant is when it has lost all of its leaves in autumn.)
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