Fall Holidays You May Not Know About

Written by Sam Douglas

November 6, 2023

Candles lit for Diwali. Photo provided by Creative Commons.

The list of holidays that Woodgrove recognizes seems to grow every year. While Wolverines enjoy the days off they provide, most don’t know the history and significance behind some of these holidays. It is important to recognize what might just be a day off for you could be a very meaningful occasion for someone else.

Loudoun County Public Schools added three holidays onto the schedule in 2021 in an effort to recognize different holidays celebrated by the diverse cultural makeup of Loudoun County. The new additions to the schedule were Yom Kippur, Diwali, and Eid al-Fitr. Diwali and Yom Kippur are celebrated in the fall, while Eid al-Fitr is celebrated in the spring.

Fall Holidays You May Not Know About

Yom Kippur

Usually falling in late September or early October, Yom Kippur is a “Day of Atonement” in the Jewish religion and is observed on the 25th of September this year. Observers abstain from food, drink, and work for the entire day in an effort to cleanse themselves from sin. It is nine days before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins a period of repentance that ends at Yom Kippur.

Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day

Columbus Day has been celebrated on the second Monday of October since the 1930s, but recently another holiday has started to gain traction on the same day. Indigenous Peoples’ Day aims to celebrate and recognize the history of Native Americans, who have frequently been mistreated in the history of the United States. The movement to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day started during the 1990s, to protest the atrocities committed to the native population after Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492. Various states had started recognizing it since then, and it was officially recognized in 2021 by the White House.

Día de los Muertos

Immediately after Halloween, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) falls on the 1st and 2nd of November. It is a joyful celebration in Mexican culture to remember friends and family members who have passed on.

Diwali

Another holiday celebrated in November is Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. LCPS was one of the first counties in the nation to give students and faculty a day off from school for the observance of Diwali. Celebrated on November 12th, it symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. Those participating in the festivities fill their homes and streets with candles and lamps, and set off fireworks.

These are just a few of the holidays celebrated in the fall. There is a diverse variety of holidays observed throughout the United States, and even if you don’t personally celebrate them, it’s important to realize and know their impact, significance, and history.

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