Can you believe we’re almost at the end of July already? Us neither! As we enter the second half of the calendar year it’s important to keep one eye on the calendar ahead to make sure you are ready for upcoming events. And there are plenty of events in the next few months. 

In this article, we’re focusing on just some of the seasonal events and calendar days that will drive customer demand for creative assets. In particular, we will cover some of the events that are big for our North American customers, because we know that over 40% of our Elements customers are based there.

If you’ve got any content that suits these themes, upload it now to make sure you’re ready for the big day(s)! If you haven’t got any? Well, you’ve still got time!

Quick links

• Events in September
• Events in October
• Events in November
• A note on representation

Events in September 

Autumn / Fall

For folks in the Northern Hemisphere, autumn (or fall, if you’re based in North America) is just around the corner!

The ‘official’ start of autumn depends on whether you go by meteorological seasons (determined by the calendar) or astronomical ones (based on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun). 

Either way, for those in the Northern Hemisphere, autumn either begins on the 1st of September (meteorological) or the 23rd of September (astronomical).

So, get your crimson leaves, your pumpkin patches, and your cozy sweaters ready, because customers will be falling in love with fall-related content.

Make sure you tag your items with both fall and autumn, to make sure you’re capturing everyone who is searching for your content!

Check out Envato’s curated collections of fall photos and autumn stock videos for inspiration.

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot

September is a significant month in the Jewish calendar, as it contains the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. 

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, and will begin on the evening of Friday, September 15, and end at sundown on Sunday, September 17.

Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, occurs in 2023 on the evening of Sunday, September 24 and runs until Monday, September 25. 

Sukkot is a 7 day festival which runs from 29 September until 6 October 2023. It commemorates the Israelites’ journey in the desert. People celebrating Sukkot sometimes  build temporary outdoor structures called sukkahs and express gratitude for the harvest and blessings in their lives.

To appear in relevant searches, consider using the list of words and phrases below as item tags. But make sure they’re relevant to your item!

• High Holy Days
• Rosh Hashanah
• Yom Kippur
• Sukkot
• Sukkah
• Shemini Atzeret
• Shofar 
• Torah

Events in October

Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples Day

Columbus Day is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on 12 October 1492. It is sometimes described as Columbus ‘discovering’ the Americas, or the New World. 

It is observed on the second Monday of October (this year it will be 9 October) and is celebrated as a federal holiday in the United States.

However, it’s worth noting that there has been growing controversy surrounding the holiday. These mainly stem from concerns about Columbus’ treatment of Indigenous people and the genocide and suffering that Indigenous people went through during and after colonization.

As a result, some regions have chosen to reframe the holiday as Indigenous Peoples Day or Native Americans Day. This pivot allows people to focus on celebrating and honoring the contributions and cultures of Native American communities.

Celebrations of the day vary across the country. In some places, parades are organized with floats, marching bands, and traditional costumes. Many communities also hold cultural fairs and festivals, showcasing music, dance, and traditional food to celebrate the diverse cultures and histories of the Americas.

Depending on what your content is, you may think about using one or more of the following tags:

• Columbus Day
• Christopher Columbus 
• Indigenous Peoples Day
• Native Americans Day

Breast Cancer Month

October is Breast Cancer Month, which aims to raise awareness, promote early detection, and support those affected by breast cancer.

Throughout the month, various organizations, institutions, and individuals work together to organize events, educate people about breast cancer, and raise funds through activities such as charity walks, runs, pink-ribbon days, and mass media campaigns.

Suggested tags

• Breast Cancer Month
• Breast Cancer Awareness
• Pink Ribbon Day
• Breast health
• Breast cancer prevention
• Mammogram 

World Teachers Day

World Teachers Day recognizes teachers for their hard work and dedication in shaping the future of education.

Established in the mid-1990s, World Teachers Day is mostly celebrated on 5 October, though there are some outliers. One example is India, which celebrates World Teachers Day on 5 September.

Suggested tags

• World Teachers Day
• Professors
• Students
• Teacher

Mental Health Day

Mental Health Day, observed on October 10th, focuses on raising awareness about mental health issues. This includes reducing the stigma attached to mental health issues, promoting mental well-being, and encouraging people to speak up about their own mental health. A large focus is also placed on suicide prevention.

Suggested tags

• Mental Health Day
• Mental Health Month

Halloween 

Halloween, celebrated on 31 October, is the ~spookiest~ holiday of the year!

It originates from the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the beginning of winter and was when the boundary between the living and the dead was believed to be the thinnest. To ward off the spirits, the Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes to blend in with the spirits.

These days, Halloween is celebrated all over the world and people use it as an opportunity to dress up in costumes and decorate their houses and yards, carve pumpkins, go trick-or-treating, and watch horror movies.

Suggested tags

• Halloween
• Samhain
• Trick-or-Treat
• Jack-o’-lantern

Events in November

Día de los Muertos / Día de Muertos

Dia de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, is a vibrant Mexican holiday that celebrates and honors deceased loved ones.

The festival runs across the first two days of November, and communities spend time creating altars and offerings (Ofrenda) for loved ones who have passed away. These are often decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, family photographs, favorite foods, and other offerings to welcome the spirits of the departed back to the living world for a joyful reunion and remembrance.

Suggested tags

• Día de los Muertos
• Día de Muertos
• Day of the Dead
• Altar / Ofrenda
• Calavera / Sugar Skulls
• La Catrina
• Cempasuchil / Marigolds
• Papel Picado
• Pan de muerto / Bread of the dead
• Copal

All Saints Day / All Souls Day

All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day or Hallowmas, is a Christian holiday that commemorates all saints of the church. It is celebrated on 1 November and is followed by All Souls Day on 2 November to commemorate all people of Christian faith who have passed away.

Suggested tags

• All Saints
• All Hallows Day
• Hallowmas
• Feast of All Saints
• All Souls Day

Movember

Movember is an annual event observed in November to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues. The global movement started in Australia (just like Envato was!) and helps to fund health projects for mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

The most famous Movember campaign is where the organization got its name: people grow mustaches and use them as conversation starters, and people sponsor each other to grow the best ‘Mo’ they can!

Suggested tags

• Movember
• Mustache / Moustache 
• Mens health

Diwali

Diwali, AKA the Festival of Lights, falls on 12 November 2023. It’s a significant Hindu festival that is celebrated all over the world, but especially in places like India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, and Pakistan.

Diwali symbolizes the victory and triumph of light and goodness over darkness and evil. To celebrate, people decorate their homes with lights and oil lamps, called diyas, exchange sweets and gifts, and engage in festive activities like fireworks and prayer ceremonies.

When uploading content for Diwali, make sure you tag it with some of the additional names for the festival and words for particular ceremonies and customs, including:

• Deepavali
• Festival of Lights
• Tihar
• Bandi Chhor Divas
• Lakshmi Puja

Armistice Day / Remembrance Day / Veterans Day 

Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day or Veterans Day, is observed on 11 November in many countries around the world, including Australia, Belgium, France, New Zealand, Serbia, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The day commemorates the armistice which was signed by Germany and the allies on the morning of 11 November 1918, which ended the first World War. The official ceasefire was effective from 11 am that morning—the 11th hour of the 11th day—and is often marked by a minute’s silence.

Nowadays, people use 11 November to honor the sacrifices and service of military veterans and members who have died in combat.

Make sure you tag your content with all the names for this day:

• Veterans Day
• Remembrance Day
• Armistice Day

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is a day where people across North America celebrate and give thanks for the previous year’s harvest. 

It’s recognized on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States (in 2023 Thanksgiving is the 23 November). It’s celebrated earlier—on the second Monday in October—in Canada, where it falls on 9 October in 2023.

Thanksgiving is a holiday rich in symbolism and instantly recognizable decor. As well as more generic autumn symbols like pumpkins and red leaves, to more specific ones like roast turkeys, pilgrim hats and overflowing cornucopias. For inspiration, check out our curated collection of Thanksgiving photos.

Like Columbus Day, Thanksgiving has its own controversies in relation to the treatment of Native Americans by the pilgrims during colonization. In particular, it faces criticism for glossing over the truth of the violence directed towards Indigenous populations of the Americas. Because of this, some people prefer to recognize the day as a National Day of Mourning. 

Suggested tags

• Thanksgiving
• Canadian Thanksgiving
• Turkey Day / Turkeys
• Harvest festival
• National Day of Mourning
• Pilgrims/ Pilgrim hats
• Cornucopia

Black Friday / Cyber Monday

Black Friday (24 November) and Cyber Monday (27 November) are massive shopping events that fall just after Thanksgiving. In fact, Black Friday is often the busiest shopping day of the year!

Traditionally, Black Friday marked the official beginning of the Christmas shopping period in the retail calendar. Cyber Monday came later, and was intended to encourage consumers to shop online.

Today, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are both international events on the retail calendar, and aren’t restricted to just online or in-person shopping!

Suggested tags

• Black Friday
• Cyber Monday
• Giving Tuesday
• Cyber Week
• Click Frenzy

A note on representation

We want all of our customers to feel included and represented by our content, so please make sure that you’re depicting people and cultures in a sensitive and respectful way.

If you’re in doubt, please check out our guide on creating diverse content here.

To check for more seasonal events and up-to-date Elements search trends, please visit our trends page.