Welcome, October...

October, my second "first" favorite month of the year! I seriously can't decide whether October, November, or December is my actual favorite, because I love them all for different reasons. October is special to me because, for starters, I was born in the month of October! I also have a son whose birthday is this month which makes it all the more special as far as birthdays go... and of course, there's Halloween! In fact, I'll be starting to pull my 15 or so boxes of Halloween decorations in from the garage today and beginning the laborious but well worth it task of turning our home into a spooky, haunted delight! (Pictures to come!) In keeping with my custom of ushering in the months by sharing a bit of trivia about the new month with you, here are my facts and folklore about this month named in honor of its position as the eighth month of the ancient Roman calendar! (October Birthstone Fairy Mini Print by magickalgifts ** on Etsy)

October is one of the seven months of the Gregorian calendar that has 31 days. Coincidentally, October begins on the same day of the week as January in non-leap years.

The mystically beautiful and dynamic opal is the modern birthstone for the month of October, while the pink tourmaline is the traditional birthstone. I prefer the opal as a birthstone (as do most of the people I know who have October birthdays), and I have several in my own jewelry collection. It's a very delicate stone that comes in a variety of colors from the commonly seen milky white stone to the beautiful black opal - but all of them have their trademark flashes of a rainbow of colors. 95% of the world's opal supply comes from Australia, where native aborigines tell legends of an opal's creation when the Creator came down in the form of a rainbow. Wherever he touched the earth, the stones turned into rainbow opals. Ancient Romans have a similar legend of this stone - their "Cupid Paederos," meaning a child as beautiful as love. They believed that opals fell to earth from the heavens in a flash of lightening. Opals represents luck and purity, but be forewarned...superstition has it that you should never wear an opal that wasn't given to you as a gift or it will bring you bad luck! ( Opal Sterling Silver Ring by PassionateJewelry)

The camellia and calendula share the honor of being October's birth flowers !

Do you share an October birthday with any of these famous October born people? If your birthday is in October you are: Clairvoyant. Nature lover. You are a born leader. People look up to you. Amiable. Honest. More emotional than practical. Rebellious at times. Totally independent. Good looker. Clever. Faithful towards family, friends and your love. You give importance when due. Dedicated and hard working.

October arrives in the sign of Libra, giving way to the eighth sign of the zodiac cycle - Scorpio, the sign of the Scorpion - on October 23 2010 at 12:35 PM (GMT). (Scorpio Horoscope Leather Book by GILDBookbinders. LOVE this!)

The Native American names for the full Moon this month are the Harvest Moon, Moon When Quilling and Beading is Done, Hunter's Moon, or Blackberry Moon, depending on the locale of the tribe. The full moon occurs on October 22nd.

(Harvest Moon...Protector Spirit of Samhain ooak by awesomeart)

Month-long celebrations for October include National Book Month, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Polish-American Heritage Month, Fair Trade Month, National Chili Month, Health Literacy Month, National Domestic Violence Month, and National Popcorn Poppin Month - among so many others! Major holidays that fall during this month are Columbus Day - 11th, Thanksgiving Day (Can) - 11th, Sweetest Day - 16th (US), and Halloween/Samhaim - 31st.

The angel for the month of October is Barbiel, who is the "Angel of Honesty". This angel assists in helping us transform anger into compassion. Barbiel aids when facing choices and gives humans clear thinking when considering the consequences of those choices. Barbiel inspires love and personal strength in humans.

October's trees are the rowan, maple and walnut.
The rowan tree is known for aid and protection against enchantment.

The Wild Birds Unlimited bird of the month for October 2010 is the Jay. (5-1/4 inch Blue Jay Hand Carved and Hand Painted Wooden Bird by jjstudio)

According to the Chinese agricultural calendar, October is the month of the Dog.

There are so many more interesting facts, legends and folklore surrounding the month of October, but I'm hoping you've enjoyed the few that I've shared with you!

I'd like to say thank you to the featured shops for the display of their items to illustrate my post. Please be sure to visit them all, as well as the other great Etsy shops that are featuring October related items!