November 2009 is …
• American Diabetes Month
• Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month
• National Pomegranate Month
• Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month
• National Roasting Month
• Vegan Month

1. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead (Mexico). Celebrate the lives of the dearly departed as they do in Mexico. Give out decorated sugar skulls to shoppers.
2. National Fig Week. Feature figs throughout the store — in pastry, salads, meats, dried, fresh and in packaged goods. Fig Newmans, anyone?
3. Birthday of the Earl of Sandwich. Celebrate John Montague with a whimsical selection of gourmet sandwiches all day. Have a sandwich-naming contest with shoppers winning discounts for the funniest name and recipe.
4. Hold a staff meeting to discuss findings at the recent Anuga trade fair in Cologne.
5. Build a display for Diabetes Month featuring all your sugar-free and other diabetes-friendly foods.
6. Review holiday orders and decoration materials for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
7. Design and build a “Stocking Stuffer” display with all kinds of small, inexpensive gifts for the kids’ stockings with an ever-changing array of merchandise.
8. Cook Something Bold & Pungent Day. Get busy in the kitchen with chilies, ginger, mustard and other big flavors for your prepared foods section today.
9. Complete hiring of holiday sales help.
10. Feature gluten-free entrees in your prepared foods section for Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month.
11. Veterans Day. Offer discounts and treats to any veterans shopping today.
12. Elizabeth Stanton Cady’s birthday. Feature products from women entrepreneurs.
13. Feature peanut butter-based dishes (cookies, soups, marinades, etc.) for Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month.
14. Check inventory on Thanksgiving items — roast pans, turkey basters, mashers, trussing twine, serving platters, etc. Order what is necessary.
15. National Bundt Day. Who knew? Display piles of bundt pans and offer recipes as well as finished product.
16. Hold a cooking class on how to use turkey and other Thanksgiving leftovers in creative and delicious ways.
17. Hold a special roasting cooking class for Roasting Month, with plenty of roasting pans stacked up for sale.
18. Check and restock all Thanksgiving displays.
19. National Great American Smokeout Day. Set up bins in which people can toss their cigarettes. Offer information and heart-healthy recipes.
20. Universal Children’s Day. Offer special free treats for any kids who come in today with their parents.
21. Offer alternative recipes and instructions for vegan Thanksgiving dinners in honor of Vegan Month.
22. Move all the last-minute Thanksgiving merchandise to the checkout counter. Mark down any specific Thanksgiving merchandise.
23. Harpo Marx’s birthday. Run Marx Brothers movies in the store all day to kick off the holiday week.
24. Set up a pomegranate display with possible Thanksgiving recipes for Pomegranate Month.
25. Shopping Reminder Day. Only 28 more shopping days (excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve) until Christmas.
26. Thanksgiving Day
27. Black Friday. So called because it is the traditional start to the Christmas shopping season and retailers would by this time be “in the black.”
28. Treat your staff to a pizza party after closing to get ready for the holiday rush that will ensue.
29. Make final plans for a decorating night after hours to transform the store for Christmas.
30. Anniversary of “The Joy of Cooking.” Celebrate with stacks of the iconic cookbook and serve dishes from the book in your prepared foods section.