THIS MONTH: Surprising to no one, November has become synonymous with shopping rather than with thanks, despite it being the month of Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, a lot of other facts about the 11th month are pretty interesting. According to Coolkidfacts.com, “November got its name from the ancient Roman calendar, as it was the ninth month in the calendar and was called ‘novem’ in Latin. Despite being moved to the eleventh spot in the Julian calendar, its name was never changed.”

This surprised us. “The renowned playwright, Shakespeare, wrote a total of 37 plays and 154 sonnets in the English language. He did not, however, make any mention of the month of November in any of his writings.”

It didn’t appear to be a dislike for the month, as on Nov. 28, 1582, the Bard married Anne Hathaway in Stratford-upon-Avon. They had a daughter, Susanna, six months later, and twins two years after that.

Shakespeare never mentioned September or October either.

Also according to Cool kid facts, “November marks the official month for banana pudding enthusiasts, but for those who aren’t fond of this dessert, there are several other occasions to commemorate during this month. November is celebrated in the US as National Novel Writing Month, National Pomegranate Month, National Adoption Month, and many more occasions.”

November symbolizes change — the autumn harvest to winter, sun to snow.

“The birthstone for those born in November is the topaz. The yellow variety seems to be the most commonly accepted specificity of the stone. This beautiful gem could serve to remind us that the light will return after the impending winter ahead of us. The bright color acts as a much-needed pick-me-up. Additionally, the gem is known as a symbol of the importance of maintaining our important friendships,” says Sunsigns.org