listopad

Listopad is the name for November in Polish and Czech, and a cognate in other Slavic languages such as Ukrainian (листопад). The word is formed from elements meaning leaf and fall, reflecting the autumn leaf fall characteristic of the season.

In both Polish and Czech, listopad designates the eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar. The month contains 30 days and lies in late autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, often marking a transition toward winter.

The term also appears in historical and cultural phrases. In Poland, the Powstanie Listopadowe, or the November Uprising, refers to the 1830–1831 insurrection against the Russian Empire. In the Czech Republic, the Velvet Revolution is sometimes described as the Listopadová revoluce, referring to events in November 1989 that contributed to the end of communist rule.

Cultural observances in November are notable in Polish-speaking regions, where All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2 are widely observed with cemetery visits and remembrance activities. These commemorations underscore the month’s place in autumnal and commemorative traditions across Central Europe.