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October

Tenth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
10 min read
Source updated June 17, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.
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October is the 10th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus c. 750 BC, October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ôctō meaning "eight") after January and February were inserted into the calendar that had originally been created by the Romans. In Ancient Rome, one of three Mundus patet would take place on October 5, Meditrinalia October 11, Augustalia on October 12, October Horse on October 15, and Armilustrium on October 19. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar. Among the Anglo-Saxons, it was known as Winterfylleth (Ƿinterfylleþ), because at this full moon, winter was supposed to begin.

October is commonly associated with the season of autumn in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, and spring in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to April in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa.

01Symbols

October's birthstones are the tourmaline and opal. Its birth flower is the calendula. The zodiac signs are Libra (until October 22) and Scorpio (from October 23 onward).

In recent decades, the number of warm temperature records in October has outpaced cold temperature records over a growing portion of Earth's surface.
In recent decades, the number of warm temperature records in October has outpaced cold temperature records over a growing portion of Earth's surface.
Chart shows changes in global average temperature annually in October of each year
Chart shows changes in global average temperature annually in October of each year
The calendula
The calendula

02Observances

This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance.

Non-Gregorian: 2026 dates

(All Baha'i, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in question unless otherwise noted.)

Month-long

United States

The last two to three weeks in October (and, occasionally, the first week of November) are normally the only time of the year during which all of the "Big Four" major professional sports leagues in the U.S. and Canada schedule games; the National Basketball Association begins its preseason and about two weeks later starts the regular season, the National Hockey League is in the first month of its regular season, the National Football League is about halfway through its regular season, and Major League Baseball is in its postseason with the League Championship Series and World Series. Days on which all four leagues play are colloquially known as a sports equinox.

United States, health-related
United States, culinary

Movable dates

First Sunday

First Monday

First Tuesday

First Wednesday

First Thursday

First Friday

First full week

Second Sunday

Second Monday

Second Tuesday

Second Wednesday

Wednesday of second full week in October

Second Thursday

Second Friday

Second Saturday

Week of October 10

Second Week of October

Third Sunday

Third Monday

Third Thursday

Third Saturday

Fourth Monday

Fourth Wednesday

Fourth Friday

Fourth Saturday

Week of Fourth Wednesday

Last Monday

Last Friday

Last Sunday

Fixed

An opal armband. Opal is the birthstone for October.
An opal armband. Opal is the birthstone for October.
Cut tourmaline
Cut tourmaline

03Miscellaneous

  • Eric Whitacre composed a piece based on this month, titled October.
  • Neil Gaiman wrote a story personifying the month, titled "October in the Chair", for his 2006 collection Fragile Things.
  • Ray Bradbury published a collection of short stories titled The October Country in 1955.
  • The song October doth before us go celebrates the progression of spring (from the perspective of the Southern Hemisphere).
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, whose devotion and Feast are celebrated in October
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, whose devotion and Feast are celebrated in October
October, from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
October, from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
Watch videos about OctoberExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “October”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

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