Daylight Saving Time ends the first Sunday in November, this year we will turn our clocks back on November 3rd at 2am. While Daylight Saving Time has a long and interesting past, the current Daylight Saving Laws were signed into law as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Energy Policy Act shifted the beginning of Daylight Saving Time to the second Sunday in March and the end to the first Sunday in November, both at 2am.
Next up is Election Day which falls on November 5th. Election Day is the Tuesday after the first Monday of November - this means it can only fall between November 2nd-8th. Originally, Congress had Election Day slated to be the first Tuesday in November. But depending on the calendar, the first Tuesday didn’t always fall within 34 days of the Electoral College meeting, which was the law at the time. So an amendment was passed to specify that voting would happen on the first Tuesday after the first Monday.
November 11th is Veterans Day. Veterans Day is an official United States holiday which honors people who have served in the armed forces. It marks the anniversary of the end of World War I which formally ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. Military veterans and should not be confused with Memorial Day which is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.
Finally, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. 155 years ago, in 1863, even though the Civil War was to continue for two more years, Sarah Josepha Hale, featured in our 2020 edition, wrote to President Abraham Lincoln and asked that the final Thursday of November that year be set aside for Thanksgiving, and so it was. This year we celebrate Thanksgiving on November 28th.
On November 19, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln delivered what would become one of the most well-known speeches in United States history: The Gettysburg Address.
President Lincoln was there to dedicate the National Cemetery of Gettysburg at the site of one of the deadliest battles of the Civil War in Gettysburg, PA. In less than 275 words and two minutes, President Lincoln addressed the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence, those that gave their lives in the Battle of Gettysburg, and the citizen’s responsibility to the future of the United States.
Reactions to the speech fit within the political climate of the day. Republican journalists praised the speech and focused on the emotion and eloquence of it, while Democratic journalists thought it was inadequate and inappropriate for the momentous occasion. No one believed the speech would become what it is today. President Lincoln stated himself in the address that “‘the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; but it can never forget what they did here.” Thankfully the world today remembers both.
November is packed full of meteor showers!
Meteor Showers in November:
Taurid Meteor Shower peaks between November 4-9
Leonid Meteor Shower peaks between November 10-21
Andromedid Meteor Shower peaks between November 26-27
The best time to view meteor showers is generally between midnight and dawn. For the best views, plan your viewing time on days close to the New Moon to prevent as much moonlight interference as possible. Also make sure to get away from light pollution, and allow your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark.
Bundle up and enjoy the show!
Following are the ways you can order and receive a copy of the 2020 Blum’s Collection:
Online: By visiting our Country Store
Phone: 1-800-776-2586
By Mail: Blum’s Almanac, 3301 Healy Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
You can also use those ways to order any of the following:
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By Mail:
Blum's Farmer's and Planter's Almanac
3301 Healy Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
By Phone: 336-765-5811 or 1-800-776-2586
Online: Submit the form on our contact page and we will respond as quickly as possible.
Our office is open Monday- Friday from 9am- 4pm Eastern Time.