There are only twelve months in any given year. A dozen different containers of days in which we live our lives divided up equally into four seasons. Each month, its own thing of beauty.

I’m sure at some point, when these months all first got together, there must have been arguments over which of them was the greatest.

I can just picture January bragging about how he’s always been first and should therefore be considered the greatest. The first one to bring in a new year. The first one where resolutions are made.

Then February would chime in about being the lover’s month. June would counter by saying he’s the greatest because of being the month most weddings occur in. And I’m quite certain December would put in her two cents because of the whole Christmas thing.

Not one to brag or voice discontent, October would just smile and watch the others bicker. For you see, he already knows which month is the greatest. As do I.

October is the GREATEST month of the year and here’s why:

1. October is National Breast Cancer and Rett Syndrome Awareness Month: Thirty one days in which to raise funds and awareness to help find cures.

2. Columbus Day: It’s the day America was discovered.

3. Oktoberfest: Time to get your drink on.

4. October is the only month where Count Chocula, Frankenberry and Boo Berry cereal are all readily available in stores.

5. For baseball enthusiasts, October means only one thing: The World Series.

6.  October is the month when fall colors are at their peak. Sure, the Autumnal Equinox “technically” starts in September but leaves are still green for the most part in September. And by November, the foliage is a dull brown color. For those of us in the northeast, the best days of all are actually when the weather is overcast with a threat of rain. Seeing these bright-colored leaves beneath the gray sky is one of the most beautiful sights there is.

7. Halloween. Nothing more needs to be said. The final day of the greatest month of the year is the only day where it’s ok to get dressed up and scare the shit out of people. It’s also the only day of the year where you can go walk the streets and beg for candy and not get arrested. Trust me, I’ve tried.

But the absolute real reason October is the greatest month of the year does not lie in days of awareness, cereal consumption or trick or treat. No, October is the greatest month of the year because of what happened on the 5th day of it back in 1969….

I was born.