October comes from the Latin word octo which means eight. In ancient Rome, October was the eighth month of the year. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted, it became the tenth month of the year. It is one of the seven months with thirty one days.

The birthstones for October are opal and tourmaline. Opals are considered to be the traditional birthstone. They symbolize hope. Tourmaline is the modern birthstone for October. Both gemstones come in a wide variety of colours and are known for displaying multiple colours within the same stone.

When you think about the month of October do Halloween parties, costumes, and trick-or-treating come to mind? Don’t forget that Hallow e’en is the evening before All Hallows Day (All saints Day) and the forces of darkness in all their weird and wonderful guises have one last night of excitement before they are conquered and put down by the forces of good, and the power of God revealed in the lives of the saints.