Did You Know About These Odd, Obscure And Fun October Holidays?

CALVERT COUNTY, Md. — October is known, of course, for Halloween, but this month was also packed with other national days of celebration or awareness — and chances are, you might’ve missed a few.

While these campaigns have grown in popularity and more have been added since we all started connecting about our favorite things on the internet, October is pretty special because there are just so. many. events. Nearly every day in October has something going on, and it ranges from serious issues to silly acknowledgments.

We wanted to highlight some of October’s odd or out-there holidays — the ones you could have celebrated with friends, or just marked by taking a moment out of your busy day to post a picture, share a meme, or visit a local business.

Here are just a couple of our favorites from a long, interesting list to keep in mind for next year:

Oct. 14: National Dessert Day

The BayNet stopped by Butterflies & Wishes Tea & Sweets for National Dessert Day, which exists solely to give people an excuse to indulge in desserts. This adorable tea shop will transport you to a fabulous fairy tale world, whether you just grab a treat or sit down for one of their tea services. At the counter, we tried some biscotti and adorable miniature chocolate cupcakes.

This shop has tea service menus that change frequently with the season and for different holidays. They were offering a fall tea service for October, and a special Halloween tea.

Oct. 17: National Pasta Day

You can’t miss this October holiday, which is designed to encourage both eating and cooking pasta. We headed to Nick’s of Calvert, a gourmet grocery store known for having plenty of Italian goods. The store had a huge selection of dried pastas to choose from, as well as sauces, gourmet cheese, and fresh-baked bread.

Dried pasta is phenomenal, but we definitely recommend checking out some of the fresh pastas in the refrigerated section. Fresh pasta with a homemade sauce creates a great meal that feels a little more special — especially when made with friends or family.

Oct. 21: National Witch Hazel Day

Witch hazel is a flowering plant that has strong anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. There are numerous uses for witch hazel, and it’s long been a popular folk remedy for skin ailments. This day honors everything witch hazel can do and its history of healing. You can find witch hazel in liquid forms in most pharmacies (remember to consult a doctor before doing anything medicinal!).

For Witch Hazel Day, we went to North Beach’s own Dusk & Willow Designs, a “metaphysical boutique” stocked with unique, beautiful gifts that are sure to inspire your inner spirit. Witch hazel can be found in oils, candles, lotions and more — make sure to call the shop to see if they have any witch hazel products in, as the inventory can change.

Oct. 30: National Candy Corn Day

Love it or hate it, candy corn is front and center all October long. This iconic little triangle, whose flavor is equal parts addictive and unidentifiable, gets to shine the day before Halloween when other candies take over.

Candy corn dates back to the 1880s, and was developed as a penny candy that could be bought in bulk. Back then, it was a small, affordable treat. Candy corn was first called “chicken feed” and was part of a wave of agricultural-inspired candies developed during the time.

Today, Brach’s is the best-known candy corn brand, but independent candy makers are in on the game, too. We tried a lot of local confections this week, including candy corn from Mary’s Candy Kitchen at the Pennsylvania Dutch Market in Annapolis. We definitely recommend it — and Mary’s other treats.

Outside of the fun and easy-going holidays, major October events include Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, two national movements to combat serious issues. We definitely recommend checking out events and resources about these campaigns as well as sampling dessert, pasta, candy corn, and witch hazel.

Let us know your favorite October holiday — yes, even if it’s Halloween.

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