I sometimes feel rather badly for November. Stuck between Halloween and Christmas, and most of the autumnal leaves have long since faded away, at least in my part of the world. November can appear rather bleak, at first. But, in this post, I am inviting us all to look a little more closely at the unique joys November can offer.
By this point in the year in Canada, the nights have grown longer (and are continuing to lengthen), and the weather has become downright chilly. In fact, just the other day, the first flakes of soft, fluffy snow were settling in on the pumpkins on my front porch. While I know this can be a tough time for many, I think there are plenty of joyful moments, experiences and opportunities to be found in the eleventh month of the year. Let’s talk about them!
1. Longer, Darker Nights
Okay, hear me out. I know there are plenty of reasons not to love the increased darkness at this time of year, but if I’m being honest, I also think the pros outweigh the cons! Long, dark evenings offer perfect opportunities to hunker down with a favourite book and blanket and indulge in the hot beverage of your choice. They offer time work on creative, indoor projects that often get put on the back-burner during busy summers. And perhaps best of all, longer and darker nights are the perfect excuse to bundle up and head somewhere far from city lights to observe the stars. I find the sight of starlight, already hundreds or even thousands of years old, to be very inspiring – and it helps me remember how small I am in this great big world of ours.
2. A Calm Before the Storm
I think it would be safe to say that for many of us, December is one of the busiest times of the entire year. As joyful and fun as holiday events are, there is no doubt they can be exhausting – especially for the more introverted amongst us, like myself. By contrast, I find November is often a quieter month of calm before that holiday storm, enabling me to prepare ahead so I can be more mindfully present during the social hub-bub of December. In the same way the earth has started to settle in for a long winter’s repose by November (at least in the Northern Hemisphere!), I find November offers me a gentle pause to breathe deep, and settle myself. It can be a beautiful, contemplative time to reflect on what the year has brought so far, and to make plans for what I hope to achieve or accomplish over the coming winter.
3. A Longing for Coziness
Maybe this simply goes alongside the reality of longer and darker nights, but I find November has a sense of yearning to it, unlike any other month of the year. As October slips into November, we are left with the stark beauty of barren, misshapen tree branches, foggy mornings and a sense of longing for home and hearth that will comfort us all through winter’s coldest storms. There is a part of me that relishes that primal desire to gather in with loved ones, prepare hearty warm meals, bake delicious breads and other treats, and observe the fading months of the year by candlelight. In fact, during November I often think of this lovely quote from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s “Anne of the Island”:
It was November — the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate wind-songs in the pines.
4. Cold(er) Weather
One thing I’ve learned after many years of living in a northern clime is that embracing the weather for what it is, and spending time outside enjoying the cold and the snow is critical to mental wellness. And while the coldest months of the year in my part of the world are typically found from December through February, there is no doubt that November often sees its fair share of icy temperatures too. In fact, just the other day I took my skates in to be sharpened and I am already eagerly awaiting that first smooth glide across an outdoor skating rink, which frequently happens sometime in November. And what’s not to love about flying across an icy pond, with the air shimmering as diamond-like snowflakes gently fall to the earth? Embracing colder weather and the potential it holds to try something new can make November feel like a blessing rather than a curse. Whether it be ice skating, skiing, snowshoeing, or some other activity that relies on colder weather, I find throwing myself into the joy of a wintery activity helps me to remain happy on even the coldest November days.