I’m always trying to figure out how to make it easier for families to observe the Christian Year because we felt so overwhelmed when we first started that journey (which is why we wrote the book we wish we had then). I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to observe and I hope having them all in one place is helpful to you, too!
And I pinned all of the following resources on a November Liturgical Living pinterest board for your convenience!
As always, remember not to get overwhelmed. You don’t have to observe every saints day! (We certainly don’t at our house.) The liturgical year is a gift. It shouldn’t feel like a burden!
November 1st: All Saints Day
Faith and Little Ones:
- All Saints Scavenger Hunt: Better Than Eden
- All Saints’ Halloween Party: A Knotted Life
- Celebrating All the Saints: In the Heart of My Home
And I love Kendra’s idea to easily transform Halloween costumes into All Saints’ costumes:
Awesome All Saints Costumes, And More Halloween/All Saints’ Costumes
Book Suggestions:
- Books About Saints in Our Mass Bag: Carrots for Michaelmas
November 2nd: All Souls Day
Celebrating Around the Table:
- Soul Cakes: Carrots for Michaelmas
Food for Thought:
- At the End Charlotte Dies: Catholic All Year
- Four Ways You Can Help the Souls in Purgatory: Living with Lady Philosophy
November 3rd: St. Martin de Porres:
Faith and Little Ones:
- Celebrating the Feast of St. Martin de Porres: Two Os Plus More
- St. Martin de Porres Glory Story CD: Holy Heroes
Book suggestions:
St. Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary Schmidt
November 4th: St. Charles Borromeo
Faith and Little Ones:
Coloring Page:
- St. Charles Borromeo: Catholic Playground
November 5th: St. Elizabeth
Faith and Little Ones:
- Read the story of the Visitation aloud from the Bible.
Celebrating Around the Table:
- St. Elizabeth Scones: In Endless Song
November 11th: St. Martin of Tours
Celebrating Around the Table:
- Make Stuffed Butternut Squash (served in halves like St. Martin’s cloak) recipe in Feast! Real Food, Reflections, and Simple Living for the Christian Year)
Faith and Little Ones:
- 7 Quick Ways to Celebrate Martinmas: Two Os Plus More
November 13th: St. Frances Cabrini
Celebrating Around the Table:
- Make Bolognese with Orecchietti: My Catholic Kitchen
Food for Thought:
- Paper Boats Filled with Violets: A Story of Mother Cabrini (Cari Donaldson for Catholic Exchange)
November 16th: St. Margaret of Scotland
Celebrating Around the Table:
- Learn the Grace After Meals prayer. Today with the Saints shared that St. Margaret encouraged this praying of this prayer. You can find a beautiful free printable of the Grace After Meals at Catholic All Year.
November 17th: St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Celebrating Around the Table:
- Hungarian Cinnamon Bread: Catholic Cuisine
Book Suggestion:
Roses in the Snow: A Tale of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
November 21st: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Book Suggestion:
Mary the Mother of Jesus by Tomie dePaola
November 22nd: St. Cecilia
Faith and Little Ones:
- St. Cecelia Glory Story audio CD: Holy Heroes
November 22nd: Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Food for Thought:
- Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe: Catholic Culture
November 24th: St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions
Celebrating Around the Table:
- Make Vietnamese Summer Rolls (recipe in our newest liturgical year ebook: More Feasts!)
November 25th: St. Catherine of Alexandria
Celebrating Around the Table:
- St. Catherine of Alexandria’s Miraculous Wheels: In Endless Song
November 29th: First Sunday of Advent
Faith and Little Ones:
- Light your first Advent candle.
- Begin the St. Andrew Christmas Novena and pray it 15 times from November 30th to Christmas Day. I made a printable you can download for free.
- 30 Jesse Tree Ornaments to Print and Color: Do Small Things with Great Love
November 30th: St. Andrew
Celebrating Around the Table:
- Make a fish dinner to honor this fisherman disciple. (Our recipe for Tahini Tilapia is in Feast! Real Food, Reflections, and Simple Living for the Christian Year)
Do you have any special traditions for holy days in November? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
(Some links in this post are affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Carrots!)
We’re learning about St.Charles in our co-op on Friday. I’m going to talk about the spiritual and corporal works of mercy since St.Charles, like many saints, embodied living the works of mercy. He’s sort of a tough saint to make accessible to little kids, like early elementary ages, so I’d love any suggestions or other links or thoughts about “getting to know St. Charles”
Haley, these are seriously some of my favorite posts of yours. I know they must be an awful lot of work for you but I really, really love them, so thank you!
One of the ways I got the teens in my Confirmation class to help celebrate the feast of St. Martin of Tours was to have them go through their coats and jackets and donate what didn’t fit or wasn’t worn anymore to the local shelter. They were really moved by it and even got their friends to contribute a few things as well.
~Willow
Love that idea, Willow! (And thanks!)
Loving these months at a glance! I love meal planning around Saints 🙂 Check out my latest post about the Octave of All Saints and praying for the souls in purgatory: http://monasteryhome.com/octave-of-all-saints/
<333
What a great post, Eva! Thanks for sharing!
I am glad to see you included the beautiful Feast of the Entrance of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Theotokos, into the Temple (also called The Presentation). This solemn holy day is one of the Great Feasts of the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Such a beautiful Feast to reflect upon…according to Tradition, the Virgin Mary was taken —presented—by her parents Joachim & Anna into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem as a young girl, where she lived & served as a Temple virgin until her betrothal to St. Joseph.
Mary was solemnly received by the temple community which was headed by the priest Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. She was led to the holy place to become herself the “holy of holies” of God, the living sanctuary & temple of the Divine Child who was to be born in her. The Church sees this Feast as marking the end of the physical temple in Jerusalem as the dwelling place of God.
Today is the preview of the good will of God,
Of the preaching of the salvation of mankind.
The Virgin appears in the temple of God,
In anticipation proclaiming Christ to all.
Let us rejoice and sing to her: Rejoice,
O Divine Fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation.
The most pure Temple of the Savior;
The precious Chamber and Virgin;
The sacred Treasure of the glory of God,
Is presented today to the house of the Lord.
She brings with her the grace of the Spirit,
Therefore, the angels of God praise her:
“Truly this woman is the abode of heaven.”