Kay Jackson, age 12, of Lake Charles, La., for her question:

HOW DID NOVEMBER RECEIVE ITS NAME?

November is the eleventh month of the year. In Latin, "Novem" is the word for "nine." In the old Roman calendar, November was the ninth month of the year.

Because July was named for Julius Caesar and August was named for Augustus Caesar, the Roman Senate offered to name the eleventh month for Tiberius Caesar. He refused the kind suggestion by saying modestly: "What will you do if you have 13 emperors?"

Originally there were 30 days in November, then 29 and then 31. Prom the time of Augustus, November has had 30 days.

Near the end of November, the people of the United States celebrate Thanksgiving Day. The Pilgrims celebrated the first New England Thanksgiving to express their gratitude for their first harvests in the hard new land.

In Canada, where the colder climate forces farmers to harvest their crops earlier, Thanksgiving is celebrated in October.