This generally goes without saying, but there are a lot of causes to which you can give your attention, time, and money on any given day, month, or time of year. Yesterday I was reading about diabetes – a group of metabolic diseases that affect the balance of sugar and insulin in the body – and thinking about the fact that November is Diabetes Awareness Month. November is a time to reflect on many important causes across North America, some of which are listed here:

• National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
• National Caregiver Month
• National Epilepsy Awareness Month
• Prematurity Awareness Month
• National Adoption Month
• Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
• Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Many other fundraisers occur in the very busy month of November; if your cause is not covered in the bullets above, check out this list of awareness issues or the official Government of Canada Health Promotion Days website. Some of these causes are more popular than others (e.g. Movember, supporting male prostate and testicular cancer, has been particularly prevalent for the past several years).

My question is: why is November such a popular month for causes, especially those relating to health? Is it because these grey days make us all feel a little less healthy and positive? Is it because it’s the month preceding December and Christmas, thus inspiring people to more guilt- or stress-related donations to charities?  In Commonwealth countries, November is Remembrance Day and thus a time for reflection and respect. Did this important tradition inspire other people to label November as a time of thinking beyond oneself?

Googling this question yields few answers, and I’m left frustrated over the true mystique of November. Does anyone have ideas or insights to share? Please comment on this post or reply via social media!