It may not be my favorite month, but where I‘ve been living, it‘s generally not too bad. November has what the winter months generally don‘t have—rainy days, as well as days when the whole world is blanketed with snow. I like getting the occasional break from winter in November, although the days of snow remind me of what‘s around the corner.

If you were waiting for an excuse to get the fireplace going, November is exactly the month that will give you that excuse, with its chilling nights and dark afternoons. In the northern hemisphere, we‘re certainly starting to feel diminishing daylight, and although Reykjavík, Iceland, where I used to live, has much shorter days during the winter, the people of Oslo also get to experience the ever-dwindling rays of sun and the darkness that appears out of nowhere during midday.

Every cloud has a silver lining, they say, and that also goes for the darker nights, as it‘s much easier to get a good night‘s sleep when the sun isn‘t beaming through your window. It‘s also cozy, and when the Christmas lights start appearing, it is not only cozy but heartwarming as well. For me, November is the month of candles in every room, a sizzling fireplace, and blankets.

Compared to other months, November isn‘t as steeped in history or mythology. Modern times, however, have been shining a new light on it with happenings such as Movember, when the men grow their beards out, and NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), where the writers within us start to bloom. There are also other movements aimed at raising awareness of illnesses or conditions, many of them in specific countries.

A month dedicated to writing a novel hits close to home for me, as during this time I‘m generally writing myself. November has twice been the month in which I publish my work, and although I‘ve also tried on a summer publication for size, I feel this time of year is better suited for the kind of books I write. I am not the only writer who uses November as the month of publication, as it‘s exactly and correctly located between autumn and Christmas, giving your readers enough time to purchase the novel and read it before deciding whether it deserves to become a gift for a loved one, neatly packaged and placed under the Christmas tree.

November is the month when you try to do everything you know you won‘t be able to do in December. I generally try to finish my Christmas shopping during this month, to get it out of the way before the hustle and bustle that comes with the big month of Christmas. Many stores have already started selling Christmas decorations, and I, for one, can‘t wait to put up the colorful lights and shining angels to light up the looming dark.

November may not be everyone‘s favorite month, but it‘s no less special than the other ones. For those who don‘t like the month, remember that it has one day fewer than most of the others and will therefore go quickly, swinging you into December at full blast.