October Festivities: A Guide to Fun October Holidays

Fall has arrived, and so has October! We love celebrating all the holidays, big and small, so I put together this October Festivities: A Guide to Fun October Holidays handbook!

A wooden table with pecans and gourds and pumpkins that says "Hello October" in the middle

October is here! And Fall is in full swing! I adore the Fall season, and I think it’s just gorgeous! When we get those cool, crisp mornings, beautiful Fall foliage, and super delicious Fall food! In this crazy world that seems to be getting crazier by the day, I love celebrating all the fun little moments with my family that I can. The “National Day Of” celebrations are so much fun to celebrate and bring a lot of fun to daily routines. I love to look at the list and see what will be the most fun to honor as we go into each month. It’s such a fun way to put a little pizazz and joy in our days, and I say the more joy and happiness, the better! Let’s dive into what we have to look forward to in the month of October!

A lake at sunrise in the Fall with a dock and chair

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
October: National Month-Long Celebrations
National Holidays in October
- Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day
- Halloween
Fun October Holidays
Quick Glance at Fun October Holidays
Detailed List of Fun Holidays and Festivities in October
Wrap-Up: October Festivities: A Guide to Fun October Holidays
Did you like this post? Then you’ll love these!
- Want to remember this post? Pin this article to your favorite Pinterest board!

October: National Month-Long Celebrations

National Chili Month
World Menopause Month
National Sensory Processing Awareness Month
I’m Just Me Because Month
National Physical Therapy Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Cryptocurrency Month
National Non-GMO Month
Filipino American History Month
National Economic Education Month
National Women’s Small Business Month
World Blindness Awareness Month
Dysautonomia Awareness Month
National Fire Prevention Month
National Dwarfish Awareness Month
National ADD/ADHD Awareness Month
National Pet CBD Month
National Principals Month
National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month
National Dropout Prevention Month
National Learning and Development Month
Workplace Politics Awareness Month
Wishbones for Pets Month
Vegetarian Month
Talk About Prescriptions Month
Tackling Hunger Month
Squirrel Month
Spinach Lovers Month
Self-Promotion Month
National Sausage Month
Right Brainers Rule! Month
Rhubarb Month
Rhizomes and Persimmons Month
Rett Syndrome Awareness Month
Raptor Month
Positive Attitude Month
Polish American Heritage Month
Photographer Appreciation Month
Pear and Pineapple Month
Organize your Medical Information Month
National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month
National Work and Family Month
National Window Covering Safety Month
National Toilet Tank Repair Month
National Stamp Collecting Month
National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
National Seafood Month
National Sarcastic Awareness Month
National RSV Awareness Month
National Roller Skating Month

Hay bails and Fall leaves and pumpkins in a Fall barn setting

National Holidays in October

A Happy Columbus day cartoon graphic with Columbus' ship

Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day

Columbus Day is a US federal holiday and it commemorates the explorer Christopher Columbus landing in the New World in October 1492. People started celebrating this day in the late 1800s, but it didn’t become a federal holiday until 1937. The day is observed on the second Monday of October.

There is quite a bit of controversy over Columbus Day, and in lots of areas, it’s known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Native Americans were already in America for centuries, and this is a celebration of their contributions to the world. So while Christopher Columbus arrived in America in October of 1492, the land already was lived on and discovered by the Native Americans.

Carved Jack O Lanterns in a wooden barn setting

Halloween

Halloween origins are actually Celtic! The Celtic Celebration of Samhain (Pronounced sow-win) marked the end of the harvest season and brought in a new year. During Samhain, the veil between the worlds of the living and dead was thought to be especially thin, so people could communicate with loved ones who had passed on.

The Catholic Church made November 2 All Souls Day. So All Saints Day (or All Hallows Day) was November 1. Which makes October 31 All Hallows Eve, and later became called, simply, Halloween. People would put out gifts of food to satisfy the hungry spirits, and as time went on, it evolved to the Halloween we know and love.

Pumpkins and pecans and fall leaves with a lit candle

Fun October Holidays

Here’s a quick-look list of all the fun holidays in October to celebrate! Pick your favorites and decide how to celebrate!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something from those links, I may make a small commission. See our full Disclosure and Disclaimer Policy here.

Fall leaves on a wooden deck with the forest in the background

Quick Glance at Fun October Holidays

October 1 – International Coffee Day
October 2 – National Frugal Fun Day
October 3 – National Hummingbird Day
October 4 – National Cinnamon Bun Day
October 5 – National Do Something Nice Day
October 6 – National Noodle Day
October 7 – National Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day
October 8 – National Fluffernutter Day
October 9 – National Chess Day
October 10 – National Cake Decorating Day
October 11 – National Food Truck Day
October 12 – National Savings Day
October 13 – National Train Your Brain Day
October 14 – National Dessert Day
October 15 – National Grouch Day
October 16 – National Sports Day
October 17 – National Pasta Day
October 18 – National Meat Loaf Day
October 19 – National New Friend Day
October 20 – International Chef’s Day
October 21 – International Nacho Day
October 22 – National Nut Day
October 23 – National Boston Cream Pie Day
October 24 – National Bologna Day
October 25 – National Greasy Food Day
October 26 – National Pumpkin Day
October 27 – National American Beer Day
October 28 – National Chocolate Day
October 29 – National Oatmeal Day
October 30 – National Candy Corn Day
October 31 – Halloween

Detailed List of Fun Holidays and Festivities in October

International Coffee Day (October 1):

What a delightful holiday for mom and dad! Treat yourself to your favorite coffee beverage today! And maybe the kiddos get hot cocoa or cider! This mama loves a mocha from Starbucks!

National Frugal Fun Day (October 2):

Get creative today and have some family fun, free of charge! Make it a game to come up with things to do all day long that don’t cost any money!

National Hummingbird Day (October 3):

Hummingbirds are so cool! This is such a fun day to learn about them and watch YouTube videos all about Hummingbirds! They are fascinating. It’s a little late in the season to see many outside unless it’s a warmer season and they are still migrating OR you live in warm year-round places!

National Cinnamon Bun Day (October 4):

Oh, what a delicious day! Whether you make homemade cinnamon rolls, or get some canned ones to make at home (which are DELICIOUS) or if you visit a bakery, just make sure you get some cinnamon buns/rolls in your life today!

National Do Something Nice Day (October 5):

Nice is the order of the day! Rake someone’s leaves! Pay for someone’s food in a drive-through! Help someone with their groceries. There are chances to be nice everywhere. Just look around today and do something nice for someone.

National Noodle Day (October 6):

What a fantastic holiday! The day of the noodle! You know what that means! Pasta for dinner! We have to celebrate noodles!! Have some pasta or some noodle soup and get your celebration on! My favorite noodle is LASAGNA noodles! I love lasagna and this is my favorite recipe.

National Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day (October 7):

YUMMO! You could buy some already chocolate-covered pretzels if you like and munch on some today. OR, if you like, get some melting chocolate and some big pretzel rods, and make your own chocolate-covered pretzels. If you make your own, you have the chance to add on all kinds of fun toppings and decorations! That could make for a fun family night!

International Fluffernutter Day (October 8):

Maybe we should start at the beginning! What is a Fluffernutter? It’s a sandwich that originated in New England! And a delicious one at that. It’s a peanut butter and marshmallow cream sandwich on white bread! Amazing! You can toast it or not, either way it’s a delight! Check out all the recipes and variations online when you look it up. People get serious about these sammies!

National Chess Day (October 9):

It’s National Chess Day! If your kids are old enough, get out a chess board and show them a little bit about chess! For beginners and little ones, you can pick up “No Stress Chess” board game and it teaches kids all about the pieces and which way they can and cannot move.

National Cake Decorating Day (October 10):

Here’s a fun day! Make a cake and let the kids help decorate it! Or, get an already-made cake at the bakery and just get icing and decorations! If you have icing bags and tips, let the kids play with all of those. They are so fun with all the different shapes they make! You could also get some fun sprinkles and sanding sugar to decorate the cakes as well. It will be a mess, but it will be super fun and you’ll make a lot of memories too!

National Food Truck Day (October 11)

What a fun holiday!! Do you have a local food truck park you could go visit? Or a favorite food truck you frequent? We have an amazing taco truck that often parks down the street! Go support a local food truck today!

National Savings Day (October 12):

This is a great day to talk about saving money and the different ways to do it! Tailor the discussion to fit your kids age and understanding! For little guys, talk piggy banks! For bigger guys, you can start talking about ways to earn money. Supermom Shuffle has a TON of articles about different savings goals! Go check them out and see what you think!

National Train Your Brain Day (October 13):

Work in some mind puzzles and games today. It’s important to keep your brain working and engaged and mind puzzles and games are a great way to do that!

National Dessert Day (October 14):

What a great day! It’s dessert day! Make sure you manage some dessert today! Make something special for everyone to enjoy or just pick your favorite usual dessert! But work some in today!

National Grouch Day (October 15):

What a fun day! Talk about Oscar the Grouch, The Grinch, Grumpy Smurf, Grumpy the 7th Dwarf, and any other grouchy characters you can think of! Such a fun day!

National Sports Day (October 16):

Celebrate your favorite team or sport today! If you can watch some of them, great! If it’s not their season, check out YouTube for some fun replays. See what the favorites are of other family members too! They might like other sports that are fun to watch too!

National Pasta Day (October 17):

Pasta day!!! We know what’s for dinner tonight! Celebrate National Pasta Day with your favorite pasta dish for dinner!! It would be super fun to have a pasta bar and everyone makes their own! I love this all-in-one pot family-friendly rigatoni pasta dinner!

National Meatloaf Day (October 18):

Find a great recipe for meatloaf and make it up today! It’s meatloaf day! And if you are going ot have meat loaf, then you also need mashed potatoes! What an amazing dinner!!

National New Friend Day (October 19):

It’s Make a New Friend Day! Strike up a conversation with someone today. Maybe it’s someone you see all the time but don’t know their name. Reach out and get to know someone a little more today and start to make a new friend!

International Chef’s Day (October 20):

It’s a day to honor chefs today! I say honor them by ordering takeout and supporting their businesses! And, as a bonus, the chef at your house gets to take the night off!

International Nacho Day (October 21):

Nachos today! It’s a must! Make them however you like, with whatever toppings you like! But we must celebrate on International Nacho Day!

National Nut Day (October 22):

Peanuts, Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios, you name it, the sky is the limit today! Have some of your favorites with breakfast, lunch, and dinner today to celebrate! Try these Spicy Stovetop Candied Pecans for some zing!

National Boston Cream Pie Day (October 23):

Boston Cream Pie is delicious! Make one from scratch (tons of recipes online!) or go and buy one somewhere. But work it in today, because you are missing out if not!

National Bologna Day (October 24):

If bologna is your thing, have a bologna sandwich today! My husband loves a fried bologna sandwich or even more, a smoked bologna sandwich!

National Greasy Food Day (October 25):

Have your favorite dinner tonight that has lots of grease! Pizza! Takeout! Burgers! You name it, it’s greasy food day!

National Pumpkin Day (October 26):

Just in time for Halloween, it’s National Pumpkin Day! Carve a pumpkin, or paint a pumpkin if you like! Then maybe make a few pumpkin recipes to eat some pumpkin as well! Try this Pumpkin Crunch recipe! It’s perfect for pumpkin lovers AND non-pumpkin lovers!

National American Beer Day (October 27):

This is mostly for all the Dads out there! Happy National American Beer Day! Enjoy a cold one today!

National Chocolate Day (October 28):

Get in as much chocolate as you can today! It’s National Chocolate Day! Let the kids pick something for each meal with chocolate in it and they will think it’s awesome!!

National Oatmeal Day (October 29):

Have some oatmeal for breakfast today and celebrate! Not an oatmeal lover? Add a little brown sugar and cream, with roasted nuts and dried fruit. DELICIOUS and healthy too!

National Candy Corn Day (October 30):

There are so many kinds of candy corn these days! Grab a bunch at the store and do a taste test tonight! And maybe do some crafts with candy corn too! It’s so much fun!

Happy Halloween! (October 31):

Happy Halloween, All! Grab your costumes and go trick-or-treating! Be safe out there!

A bridge over a creek with Fall leaves all around

Wrap-Up: October Festivities: A Guide to Fun October Holidays

October is one of my favorite months. Fall is in full swing, Halloween is coming and it’s just a magical time. I have always loved Fall and it’s no different this year! All the leaves are gorgeous and the Autumn-inspired food is just delicious! There’s finally a small crisp in the air, and I’m so excited to live in a world with Octobers! I hope you enjoy these fun little holidays to celebrate throughout October! These fun little celebrations bring some joy to the table and let you have some fun! I hope you pick a few of the fun days and celebrate them as a family and enjoy the month of October! Let me know which ones you choose and how you celebrate! I can’t wait to hear all about it! Until then… Just Keep Shuffling!