Teen Talk
November Is More than Just Thanksgiving
By Stephanie Courtois
From January to December, 14% of the year is spent celebrating a holiday. Nationally recognized events such as Thanksgiving and Veteran’s Day are what most Americans associate with the month of November.
There are so many more dates that many people fail to be aware of. For instance, hardly any people know that November 10 is the birthday for the U.S. Marine Corps or that International Men’s Day is on November 19. There are numerous events that are still underrepresented by the American population.
The American Cancer Society is marking their 36th Great American Smokeout on November 17 by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. In the United States, 45.8 million people are regular smokers; the ACS is making a huge effort in reducing that statistic to a much lower number. More citizens should get involved with this program to support all those that are trying to make a difference in their lives.
In 2000, a number of courts and communities in the United States came together to finalize thousands of adoptions of children from foster care. National Adoption Day, also recognized on the 19 of November, has had over 35,000 children adopted during this event.
A more familiar date that many consumers are keen on is Black Friday. The day right after Thanksgiving when thousands, maybe millions, of shopper spill out the doors of department stores in the early hours of the morning to get a thrifty deal. Some rather expensive products like laptops and televisions are reduced to half price or more. It is quite a challenge to get one’s desired merchandise before the rest of the hungry consumers get to it first. It is a battle field that declares war at about 5 a.m.
A more recent observance that makes the fight for a great price a bit less stressful is known as Cyber Monday which takes place right after Black Friday. Aggressive shoppers can still get those immense bargains, but from the comfort of their own home. Coupon codes and free shipping ads plaster the internet and it is becoming a popular trend amongst buyers.
November is most certainly a jam-packed 30 days. Celebrating more than just what is recognizes as a nationalized event is something that can give the calendar just a little bit more meaning.
Stephanie Courtois is a senior at Wellington High School. She is involved in tae kwon do, French, National and Chemistry Honor Societies, and is the Editor-in-Chief of her school newspaper. She loves journalism and plans to continue working for a magazine in her career after college.