November Holidays 2026: A Family Calendar of Holidays, Observances and Fun Days (With Kid Activities)

The main November holidays in 2026 are Diwali (Sunday, Nov. 8), Veterans Day (Wednesday, Nov. 11), World Kindness Day (Nov. 13), Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 26) and Native American Heritage Day (Nov. 27), after a first week that brought the end of daylight saving time, Día de los Muertos and Election Day.

Looking for November holidays to plan around? November 2026 brings two federal holidays, a festival of lights, a day for kindness, Native American Heritage Month and the long Thanksgiving weekend that kicks off the winter holiday season.

We checked every date against official sources on November 7, 2026, and calculated each day of the week. Some dates have already passed this year, so we marked them and added the 2027 dates at the end. Below: a calendar, kid activities, a Thanksgiving plan, sleep tips and a printable summary.

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November Holidays 2026 at a Glance

Dates checked on November 7, 2026, against official sources (listed at the end). Weekdays were calculated, not copied.

November 2026 starts on a Sunday and ends on Monday, November 30. Because we are already a week into the month, a few dates (the clock change, All Saints’ Day, Día de los Muertos and Election Day) have already passed this year. They stay in the calendar for reference, and the 2027 dates are near the end.

November 2026 Holiday Calendar, Day by Day

Use this table as your family calendar. Only Veterans Day and Thanksgiving are federal holidays. The rest are heritage, cultural, religious or civic dates, plus one unofficial fun day, so expect normal school and work days unless your district or employer says otherwise.

A note on “national days”: most food and brand days on online November lists were never proclaimed by Congress or the President. We only included World Kindness Day, which we traced to its organizer.

Federal Holidays in November 2026: Veterans Day and Thanksgiving

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management lists two federal holidays this month: Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, 2026 and Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Federal offices close on both days. Schools, banks and private employers set their own schedules, so check your local school and work calendars before you make plans.

• Veterans Day lands midweek: because November 11 falls on a Wednesday in 2026, there is no long weekend attached to it.
• Thanksgiving creates the big break: many schools and workplaces also close on Friday, November 27, giving families a four-day weekend through Sunday, November 29.
• Black Friday is not a federal holiday: the day after Thanksgiving does not appear on the OPM federal holiday list.

Need ideas to fill the long weekend? Our Thanksgiving activities for kids are sorted by age, and the Thanksgiving facts for kids guide covers the history in kid-friendly language.

Religious and Cultural Holidays in November 2026

November is full of days for remembering loved ones, for light and for giving thanks. If a date matters to your family, confirm local timing with your own congregation or community.

• All Saints’ Day (Sunday, November 1) and All Souls’ Day (Monday, November 2): these Christian days honor saints and remember everyone who has died. The Smithsonian notes that after the Spanish arrived in Mexico, older Indigenous traditions of honoring the dead became intertwined with these two holidays.
• Día de los Muertos (November 1 to 2): according to the Smithsonian, Aztec, Maya, Toltec and other Indigenous groups had set times for remembering their dead. Today, November 1 is traditionally a day to remember children who have passed away and November 2 honors adults. Families build an ofrenda, a temporary altar with photos, water, bread and other offerings, and marigold petals are used to make a path that guides spirits home. The Smithsonian is clear that it is not the same as Halloween. If your family does not celebrate, keep it respectful: learn about it or visit a community or museum event.
• Diwali (Sunday, November 8): Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower lists Deepavali on Sunday, November 8, 2026, in its official public holiday list. Diwali is widely known as the festival of lights. Customs and timing vary between communities, so ask your temple or community center about local events.
• Hanukkah (begins at sundown Friday, December 4): many families expect Hanukkah in late November because it landed there in some recent years, but Hebcal shows that in 2026 it begins at sundown on December 4 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12. See our December holidays calendar for the full plan.

November Holidays for Kids: One Simple Activity for Each

You do not need to celebrate everything. Pick two or three of these, and keep each one short. Most use paper, crayons and things you already have.

About World Kindness Day: it is an unofficial fun day, not a government holiday, but it has a clear organizer. The World Kindness Movement says it is observed internationally on November 13 each year and was launched on November 13, 1998. Coming two days after Veterans Day, it pairs nicely with the thank-you card idea.

Toddlers do best with one activity at a time. Older kids can take on bigger projects, like the ideas in our Thanksgiving crafts for kids.

Thanksgiving 2026 With Kids: A Simple Family Plan

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. For families with young children, the day goes best when you plan around kids’ rhythms instead of the oven timer.

• Give every child a job: toddlers can put napkins on chairs, preschoolers can wash vegetables or stir, and school-age kids can make place cards or help set the table.
• Plan the meal around naps: if your little one naps in the early afternoon, an early dinner (or a late lunch after the nap) often goes more smoothly than a 7 p.m. feast.
• Keep kids busy while adults cook: set up a craft table or a few rounds of Thanksgiving games or Thanksgiving trivia, and save a few Thanksgiving jokes for kids for the table.
• Make gratitude concrete: ask, “What made you happy this week?” instead of the bigger “What are you thankful for?”

If you want words for cards or a toast, our family Thanksgiving quotes are easy to copy.

Native American Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Day

November is National Native American Heritage Month. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the observance grew from a week in 1976 to a month in 1990, when President George H.W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 as National American Indian Heritage Month. Presidents have issued November proclamations most years since.

The Native American Heritage Day Act of 2009 made the Friday after Thanksgiving an annual Native American Heritage Day. In 2026, that is Friday, November 27, the same day many stores call Black Friday. It is a good reason to spend part of the long weekend learning together.

• Learn the name of the Native nation or nations whose homelands include your town.
• Visit a tribal museum or cultural center if one is nearby, or explore a museum website together.
• Read picture books written or illustrated by Native authors and artists, and talk about Native people as part of today, not only the past.

Keeping Sleep on Track During November Celebrations

November is a tricky month for kids’ sleep. The clocks fell back on November 1, sunsets come before dinner, and Thanksgiving often brings late meals, travel and overexcited cousins. A few habits help:

• Still seeing very early wake-ups since the clock change? Keep the room dark in the morning and hold wake-up and bedtime steady. Our daylight saving time and baby sleep guide explains how to shift a schedule gradually.
• Use morning light: open the curtains and get outside after breakfast.
• Traveling for Thanksgiving? Pack the familiar bedtime pieces (sleep sack, white noise, the same books) and see our guide to baby sleep while traveling.
• Protect at least one good nap on Thanksgiving Day. A well-rested toddler handles a big meal and a crowd far better.

For babies under 12 months, every sleep away from home still belongs on the back, alone, on a firm, flat, bare surface such as a portable crib with its fitted sheet only. No pillows, blankets, bumpers or soft bedding, even at Grandma’s house.

Holidays in November: Month at a Glance (Printable Summary)

Print this page or copy this summary onto the fridge:

• All month: Native American Heritage Month.
• Week 1 (Nov. 1 to 7, passed): daylight saving time ended, All Saints’ Day and the start of Día de los Muertos (Sun., Nov. 1); All Souls’ Day (Mon., Nov. 2); Election Day (Tue., Nov. 3).
• Week 2 (Nov. 8 to 14): Diwali (Sun., Nov. 8); Veterans Day, a federal holiday (Wed., Nov. 11); World Kindness Day (Fri., Nov. 13).
• Week 4 (Nov. 22 to 28): Thanksgiving, a federal holiday (Thu., Nov. 26); Native American Heritage Day (Fri., Nov. 27).
• Coming in December: Hanukkah begins at sundown Fri., Dec. 4; Christmas is Fri., Dec. 25.

November 2027 Dates to Save

Planning ahead? These November 2027 dates are verified the same way, with weekdays calculated:

Veterans Day and Thanksgiving come from OPM’s 2027 schedule; the clock change and Native American Heritage Day follow the rules NIST and the Bureau of Indian Affairs describe. Confirm Diwali 2027 locally.

Related Betteroo Guides

• December Holidays 2026
• January Holidays 2027
• Thanksgiving Activities for Kids
• Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids
• Daylight Saving Time and Baby Sleep
• September Holidays 2027

The Bottom Line

November 2026 has two federal holidays, Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11 and Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, plus Diwali on November 8, World Kindness Day on November 13 and Native American Heritage Day on November 27. The first week’s dates have already passed, and Hanukkah waits until December 4. Choose a few days that matter to your family, keep activities small, and protect sleep around the long Thanksgiving weekend.

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