Cultural Traditions Around the World: Learning Languages Through November Celebrations

I’ve always believed that learning a language is not just about grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation. 

It is also about people, traditions, and the way they celebrate life. 

When we discover how people live and what they value, we connect more deeply with the language — and learning becomes much more enjoyable.

November is a perfect month to explore this idea. 

Around the world, many countries celebrate unique traditions during this time of the year. 

I love learning about these traditions because they help me understand the culture and the language at the same time. 

Let’s look at some special November celebrations in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries — and see how they can inspire your language learning journey.

1. English speaking countries: Thanksgiving 

In the United States, Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays of the year. Families come together to share a big meal, usually with turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. 

People give thanks for what they have and spend time with loved ones.

I think that watching Thanksgiving movies and experiencing the culture through stories and films makes the language alive.

I belive you can easily find movies or TV series to watch with a lovely Thanksgiving vibe. 

2. French-speaking countries: La Toussaint (France)

In France, La Toussaint (All Saints’ Day) is celebrated on November 1st. 

It is a quiet and respectful day when families visit cemeteries to honor their loved ones who have passed away. 

They often bring chrysanthemums, the traditional flower of remembrance.

Reading French books about that can give a great insight into daily life and feelings and the first one that comes to my mind is "Changer l’eau des fleurs" (Change Water for Flowers) by Valérie Perrin (France, 2018) — a beautiful story about love, loss, and human connections 📚

3. Spanish-speaking countries: Día de los Muertos (Mexico and Latin America)

From October 31 to November 2, many Spanish-speaking countries, especially Mexico, celebrate El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). 

It is a colorful and joyful tradition where families remember their ancestors with music, food, and bright decorations.

🎬 Movie to watch:

Coco (2017, Mexico/USA, directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina) — a colorful animated film that teaches about family, memory, and Mexican traditions.

4. Portuguese speaking countries: Finados / Music in Brazil

In Portugal and Brazil, Dia de Finados (All Souls’ Day) is celebrated on November 2. Like in France, it is a moment of reflection and remembrance.

Since I am still at the beginning of learning Portuguese, I like to start with music to understand culture and language naturally. Brazilian music is full of emotion and daily expressions, so listening to songs can be a fun way to learn Portuguese and feel the culture.

🎵 Music to explore:

Aquarela by Toquinho — a classic Brazilian song that is simple and beautiful.

Mas que Nada by Jorge Ben Jor — a lively song to practice listening and rhythm in Portuguese.

These November traditions remind me that learning a language is not only about studying grammar or memorizing words.

It is about discovering the stories, values, and emotions that shape how people speak.

By exploring cultural celebrations, we can see the world through different eyes — and that is when language learning becomes truly alive. For me, the best way to learn a language is to live it through its culture, its stories, and its traditions and the best way to do it is by immerse myself into beautiful movies and books.