April Holidays

Since we are living in a country with cultural diversity you might find yourself exposed to some important holidays celebrated by different religions this month. We would like to provide you with the general meanings of these special days.

1. MAWLID AL–NABI. APRIL 11th to APRIL 16th – Muslim
2. RAMANAVAMI. APRIL 9th – Hindu
3. HOLY WEEK AND EASTER. APRIL 9th TO APRIL 16th – Christian
4. PASSOVER. APRIL 12th TO APRIL 21th – Jewish
5. APRIL FOOL'S DAY. APRIL 1st

1. MAWLID AL–NABI. APRIL 11th to APRIL 16th – Muslim

Mawlid al-Nabi is the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam in 570 CE. Sunni Muslims observe this celebration on the 12th of the lunar month of Rabi'–ul–Awwal in the Islamic calendar. Shi’a Muslims celebrate it five days later. "The Mawlid al–Nabi was first observed around the thirteenth century and was preceded by a month of celebration." The actual day of Muhammad's birthday include a sermon, recitation of litanies, honoring of religious dignitaries, gift giving, and a feast. The festival spreads throughout the Muslim world and is celebrated in many countries today.

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2. RAMANAVAMI. APRIL 9th – Hindu

Celebrates the birth of Lord Rama, the Hindu God. Rama was born on earth to rid the world of the king of demons – Ravan. On the ninth day of the first fortnight of Chaitra (March–April) the birth of Rama is commemorated. Excerpts from the Ramacharitamanas (holy devotional songs) extolling the glory of Rama, are recited at temples and other religious gatherings. People participate in these gatherings to listen to the stories and their explanations offered by the learned. Temples and religious organizations hold prayers and distribute ‘prasad’ – offering to all the devotees. Some people eat only once or eat only fruits all day.

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3. HOLY WEEK AND EASTER. APRIL 9th TO APRIL 16th – Christian

Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, the most joyous occasion in Christianity. It also marks the end of Lent. The date of Easter varies each year but always falls between March 22 and April 25. The date is set by determining the Sunday following the full moon on or after the vernal equinox.

Here are some important days during Holy Week:

Lent:
Lent is a forty day period of penance meant for sharing the sorrows and sufferings of Christ by self–denying Christians. Originally Lent was meant for a period of complete fasting to commemorate the forty–day fast of Jesus. Jesus spent forty days in the desert after his baptism until the beginning of his public ministry.

Palm Sunday – April 9, 2006:
The last Sunday of Lent is known as Palm Sunday. This is when Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem where he was greeted warmly by the crowd spreading Palm branches on the road.

Good Friday – April 14, 2006:
This is the day on which Jesus was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem, on top of a hill named Calvary. According to Christian belief, the purpose of this act is to redeem mankind from the bondage of sin.
This day is marked by solemn observations in memory of Jesus’ crucifixion. Christians believe that by dying Jesus accomplished reconciliation between God and man. And accordingly the crucified image of Jesus or, the Cross itself, came to be regarded as the main symbol of faith for the Christians.

Easter – April 16, 2006:

It is during Easter Sunday that Christ has resurrected from the dead; celebrating Christ’s victory over sin and death, the fulfillment in him of the first creation and the dawn of "the new creation" (cf. 2 Cor 5:17). Easter comes at the end of the six days of Holy Week which came to be associated with the life of Jesus before the Resurrection.

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4. PASSOVER. APRIL 12th TO APRIL 21st – Jewish

Passover is the 8 day observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Jewish slaves from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II.

Passover is a time of family gatherings and a lavish meal called Seder. The story of Passover is retold through the reading of the Haggadah. With its special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration. Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. As the Jewish day begins at sundown the night before, for the year 2006, the first night of Passover will be April 12th.

In Israel, Passover is a 7–day holiday, with the first and last days celebrated as a full festival and they are equel in importance as the Shabath. Outside Israel, the holiday is celebrated for 8 days, with the first two days and last two days celebrated as full festivals. The intervening days are known as Chol HaMoed (festival weekdays).

The primary symbol of Passover is the matza, a flat, unleavened bread which recalls the bread that the Israelites ate after their hasty departure from Egypt. The matza is made from a dough of flour and water only, which has not been allowed to rise for more than 18–22 minutes. Many people wont eat any leavened products, such as bread, cake, cookies, or pasta during Passover as a way to commemorate this holiday.

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5. APRIL FOOL'S DAY. APRIL 1st

Though not a holiday in its own right, is a notable day celebrated in many countries on April 1. This day is marked by hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends and neighbors, or sending them on fools’ errands, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible. In some countries, April Fools jokes must only be made before midday.

We hope you find this information useful. If you would like us to write about a specific subject please let us know and we will do our best to do it.

Ana Salazar
ISO – Customer Care Unit
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Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter
http://www.holidays.net/passover/
http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/easter.html
http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/holy_week.htm
http://www.indoritual.com/ramnavmi.htm
http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0399.asp


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