Here’s my selection of events, celebrations and customs that are happening during October.
Reminder: These listings contain an eclectic mix of interesting (to me) anniversaries, historical events, red letter days and upcoming “awareness events”, mostly UK-centric. My rules for the inclusion of awareness events are that they must not be medical, nor aimed specifically at children, nor must they be too obviously purely commercial; and they must have a useful website. (It is surprising how many get cast asunder by the lack of a useful website.)
Anyway here’s this month’s list …
4 October
French painter Jean-Francois Millet was born on this day in 1814.

Jean-Francois Millet; The Goose Girl
6 to 12 October
National Knitting Week. Celebrate by bringing knitters together, sharing techniques and learning something new. More information over at www.ukhandknitting.com/.
6 October
National Personal Safety Day is an annual event aimed at highlighting some of the simple, practical solutions that everyone can use to help avoid violence and aggression in today’s society. It’s about helping people live safer, more confident lives. Find out about this year’s campaign and getting involved at www.nationalpersonalsafetyday.co.uk/.
10 October
Tavistock Goose Fair has been held on the second Wednesday of October since 1823 (but with roots back to the 12th century) and it is one of only two historically established traditional goose fairs in the UK, the other being the larger Nottingham Goose Fair held in the first week of October.

Waltham Abbey Church, East End,
with the alleged burial place of King Harold in the centre foreground
11 October
King Harold Day. Waltham Abbey in Essex (very near my childhood home) celebrates each October the life and death of our last Saxon King — Harold — killed at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066. Harold founded the abbey at Waltham and took “For the Holy Cross of Waltham” as his battle cry. He is allegedly buried under the old high alter of the abbey church (now outside the remaining church). More details of the day’s events can be found at www.kingharoldday.co.uk/.
13 to 19 October
This is a massive week for Britain’s food lovers with the concurrent celebration of Chocolate Week, National Baking Week and National Curry Week. Mmmmm … yes … curried chocolate cake! Well maybe not!
21 October
Apple Day. Sponsored by Common Ground, Apple Day is intended to be both a celebration and a demonstration of the variety we are in danger of losing, not simply in apples, but in the richness and diversity of landscape, ecology and culture. More information over at commonground.org.uk/projects/orchards/apple-day/.
31 October
All Hallows’ Eve (or Halloween) is a celebration on the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead. Although it may have roots back into Celtic harvest festival celebrations, many of the present-day customs are recent innovations.
This day is also the Pagan feast of Samhain, a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the “darker half” of the year. It is celebrated from sunset on 31 October to sunset on 1 November, which is almost midway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Along with Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh it makes up the four Gaelic seasonal festivals.