MONTHLY MEMO: Your guide to the crucial and, sometimes, comical events, holidays, protests and commemorations in October 2025

Read on to give yourself the conversational ammunition you need to be the smartest person in the room -- or the Zoom -- for the month ahead.

We begin the tenth month of the year with a government shutdown, which will likely be the focus of much of the news coming out of Washington.

But life is about more than politics.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and home to many exciting events including the World Series, Halloween, Indigenous Peoples’ Day (sometimes referred to as Columbus Day), and it is Roller-Skating Month, Squirrel Awareness Month and Bat Appreciation Month (although, oddly, Batman Day was in September).

Here’s a curated day-by-day look at the month ahead.

Oct. 1. International Coffee Day. Coffee is rich in antioxidants that help protect cells from damage. It also helps keep you awake when you’re pulling an all-nighter, and studies show it may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease when consumed in moderation.

This evening is also the beginning of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement.

Oct. 2 is Name Your Car Day. I’ve never personally named one of my cars or trucks, but my wife had a black Volkswagen she named Phooey, which I think is charming. Some famous car names from film and television include:

Herbie (“The Love Bug”)

Eleanor (“Gone in 60 Seconds”)

Ecto-1 (“Ghostbusters”)

General Lee (“Dukes of Hazard”)

KITT (“Knight Rider)

Does your car have a name? If so, feel free to share at the end of this post in the COMMENTS tab.

Oct. 3. The Women’s National Basketball Association Finals games begin today. They will be televised on ABC and ESPN.

Oct. 4. Ten-Four Day. You know, like “10-4,” on the radio, meaning “understood”? Sort of a play on the date like May 4, as in May the Fourth Be With You. Only not exactly.

Oct. 5. World Teachers’ Day. Why are teachers important? Because human beings come out of the womb with, basically, a blank brain. Somebody has to fill it up with facts.

Oct. 6. Hunter’s Moon. Full moons get interesting names like this, many originating with our indigenous populations. The Hunter’s Moon was named for providing light in the autumn to make it easier for hunters to find game to store for the winter. Low lying areas may experience King Tides during this full moon due to the moon’s elliptical orbit bringing it closer to us.

Oct. 7 is National Taco Day. This holiday migrates a bit around the calendar so that it always ends up being on a Tuesday because, as everyone knows, Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdays because of the clever alliteration. Nobody knows why it isn’t Taco Thursdays.

Oct. 8 is World Octopus Day. The “octo” in octopus is derived from the Latin for the numeral eight since octopuses have eight arms. Important tip: It is politically incorrect to call them tentacles. My favorite is the Mexican Four-Eyed Octopus. I love their cute little glasses. Oh, wait, they don’t have glasses, they actually have four eyes.

Oct. 9 is Curious Events Day, a time to ponder all those unsolved mysteries such as whatever happened to Amelia Earhart, did D.B. Cooper survive his jump from the plane he hijacked, and has anyone found Jeffrey Epstein’s client list that mysteriously disappeared from Attorney General Pam Bondi’s desk?

Oct. 10. World Day Against the Death Penalty sponsored by a coalition of 38 human rights organizations. So far in 2025, 33 Death Row inmates have been executed in the United States. Florida leads the pack, far and away, with 12.

Oct. 11 is the 50^th anniversary of the very first Saturday Night Live broadcast featuring comedians Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman

Oct. 12. This is the actual day in 1492 that indigenous Americans discovered a lost Italian named Columbus wandering around their beach. They could have run him off, but instead brought him gifts. Further proof there is no such thing as a small decision.

Oct. 13 is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, sometimes referred to as Columbus Day. It’s always on a Monday so mattress stores can hold their three-day weekend sales events.

Oct. 14. On this day in 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He actually got it without begging for it, unlike some other people we know. Speaking of American presidents, three of them and one vice president have been so awarded. They were: Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, and Barack Obama.

Oct. 15. National Grouch Day. Why? No special reason. There was a blank spot in the middle of the month, so somebody came up with this lame holiday idea. But you can still use it to impress your friends with your amazing trivia chops.

Oct. 16. I noted this in last year’s monthly roundup, but at the risk of plagiarizing myself, it bears repeating because these one-liners are so good. In honor of Oscar Wilde’s birthday in 1854, some of his snappiest quotes:

• “Be yourself; everyone else is taken.”

• “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”

• “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”

• “Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.”

• A good friend will always stab you in the front.”

Oct. 17. Wear Something Gaudy Day. What qualifies as gaudy? I asked the never-wrong internet. Gaudy clothes, I learned, use bright colors that are visually jarring. An example that was cited: A rainbow-colored suit with gold shoes. I have to agree with that. The gold shoes are just too much.

Oct. 18. No Kings Day protests are planned nationwide today to stand against what organizers call Donald Trump’s “pathetic attempt at wearing the crown.” There’s an interactive map on this website to find a rally near you:

Oct. 19. Today is the one-year anniversary of the Royal Palm Literary Awards in which the novel Strange Timing by yours truly won Book of the Year. In celebration, I have for a limited time only set the Kindle price to $5.95 and the paperback version at $14.99. You can order your copies here:

Oct. 20. Rodent Awareness Week is celebrated each year at this time. Florida, where I live, is home to a very large mouse named Mickey who can be found in the Orlando area. Other rodents to be aware of include the palm rats that hang out in our back yard.

Oct. 21. The baseball playoffs are still underway, but it’s time for the National Basketball Association to begin play.

Oct. 22. Smart is Cool Day. Which is why this column is dedicated to making you the smartest person in the room—or the Zoom.

Oct. 23. Slap Your Annoying Coworker Day is celebrated today. It is the official policy here at Tropic Press that this is an ill-advised activity as you could find yourself slammed into the pokey if you took this literally, which you should not. Notwithstanding we’ve all had coworkers who absolutely do deserve it. But just don’t.

Oct. 24. The World Series begins today. Baseball fans can watch the games on FOX.

Oct. 25. It’s International Artists Day, held annually on the birthday of the famous international artist Pablo Picasso, born on this day in 1881.

Oct. 26. The gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place on Oct. 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Arizona. Wyatt Earp won. With a recent change in the law in Florida, where I live, people can now openly carry guns like Earp’s Buntline Special as they wander the byways of the Gunshine State.

Oct. 27. Cranky Coworkers Day. We warned you not to slap him.

Oct. 28. National Chocolate Day. We started the month celebrating coffee because it is good for you. Well, chocolate is too. It’s full of flavonoids, antioxidants that can lower blood pressure and make you happy.

Oct. 29. National Cat Day. Because cats are fun. Although they can also be scary (see next item).

Oct. 30. Frankenstein Day. The author of the famous novel, Mary Shelley, was born on this day in 1797. She had a very strange cat, the more-or-less true story of which is recounted in Ken Pelham’s short story: Mary Shelley’s Nasty Cat. It’s part of a collection of short stories and novellas by a collective of Florida writers, weirdly known as the Alvarium Experiment. You can get a copy here:

Oct. 31. Halloween. It’s also Books for Treats Day. A day to give books to children. Cautionary note: You drop a book into a trick-or-treater’s bag instead of candy, you could be asking for trouble.

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J.C. Bruce, journalist and author, is the founder of Tropic Press. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and his native Florida. When he’s not blogging, he’s in training for the Florida Man Underwater Ping Pong Championships. Forward this email to your friends. They will love you for it.

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