Category Celebration All Around the World

Buddha’s Birthday

Buddha is the title people have given to the founder of Buddhism, one of the world’s largest religions. The title Buddha means “Wise One” or “Enlightened One”.

In Japan, Buddhists celebrate his birthday on April 8. On that day in Buddhist temples, children line up to approach a tiny, open shrine covered with flowers. Inside the shrine is a statue of the baby Buddha. One by one, each child takes a small ladle and pours a little sweet tea over the statue. This is the way the children show their love for Buddha.

This day is also known as the Flower Festival, because it is the time of year when cherry trees begin to blossom.

Buddhists in many other parts of Asia also celebrate Buddha’s birthday. In India, people fast (by going without food) during the day and pray at home and in temples. In Korea, many people display paper lanterns in the evening. People in Thailand celebrate Buddha’s birthday in June.

There’s a bug on your shirt!

Did you look to see? If you did – April fool! The joke is on you.

Although the day, also called All Fools’ Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery.

Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the New Year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes.

Many people play tricks and jokes on others on April 1. It’s April Fools’ Day. And on this day, people gleefully shout “April fool!” at those they have tricked.

In Scotland, a person who is fooled by being sent on some foolish errand is said to be “hunting the gowk”. Gowk means “fool”.

And in France, a person who is fooled on April Fools’ Day is called a Poisson d’Avril, which means “April fish”. Why a fish? Perhaps it is because in April fish are young and easily caught. In France, as a special treat, you can buy chocolate fish on April Fools’ Day.

Picture Credit : Google

The Month of April

April is the fourth month of the year. The Romans called this month Aprilis. The name comes from a Latin word that means “to open”.

April was originally the second month of the year in early versions of the Roman calendar and consisted of 30 days. It became the fourth month consisting of only 29 days when January was designated the first month of the year around 450 BCE. The month became 30 days long again when Julius Caesar reformed the calendar.

April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar and consists of 30 days. It is commonly associated with the season of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and fall (autumn) in the Southern hemisphere.

April starts on the same day of the week as July and ends on the same day of the week as December in common years. During leap years, April starts on the same day of the week as January.

In the northern part of the world, April usually brings more changes than any other month. The last ice and snow disappear. The grass turns green. The buds of trees, shrubs, and flowers begin to open. Birds are singing and building nests. In the southern part of the world, people enjoy mild autumn days.

April’s birth flower is the daisy and sweet pea.

The birthstone for April is the diamond which symbolizes innocence.

Greek Independence Day

On March 25, 1821, a group of Greek leaders met in a church. They took a vow -liberty or death! At the same time, another group issued a declaration of independence. Finally, in 1829, after eight long years of war, the Greeks won their freedom from Turkey and became an independent nation.

Today, people in Greece celebrate Independence Day on March 25. Many people fly the Greek flag on this day. In Athens, the capital of Greece, there is a big military parade to celebrate the day. Among the marchers are Greek soldiers called evzones. These soldiers wear a red cap with a black tassel, a coloured waistcoat over a white shirt, a white pleated skirt over white tights, and red shoes with a black pompon at the toe.

Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire since 1453. The Greek revolt was precipitated on March 25, 1821, when Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the flag of revolution over the Monastery of Agia Lavra in the Peloponnese. The cry “Freedom or death” became the motto of the revolution. The Greeks experienced early successes on the battlefield, including the capture of Athens in June 1822, but infighting ensued. By 1827 Athens and most of the Greek isles had been recaptured by the Turks.

Just as the revolution appeared to be on the verge of failure, Great Britain, France, and Russia intervened in the conflict. The Greek struggle had elicited strong sympathy in Europe, and many leading intellectuals had promoted the Greek cause, including the English poet Lord Byron. At the naval Battle of Navarino, the combined British, French, and Russian forces destroyed an Ottoman-Egyptian fleet. The revolution ended in 1829 when the Treaty of Edirne established an independent Greek state.

Birthday of Benito Juarez

Benito Juarez was one of the greatest leaders in the history of Mexico. His concern for the poor was well known. His birthday, March 21, is celebrated as a national holiday.

Born on March 21st 1806, Benito Juárez is today remembered as a reformer dedicated to democracy, reducing the influence of the Catholic Church in Mexican politics, campaigning for equal rights for indigenous peoples and promoting the defence of national sovereignty.

Juárez had a very humble start to life. He was an indigenous Zapotec who became an orphan when he was only four years old, he worked as a shepherd, speaking Zapotec and unable to read or write. He moved to Oaxaca City when he was 13, where he learned to speak, read and write Spanish, studied law and got married.

He entered politics in 1834, serving as a city councilman in Oaxaca. Over the next two decades, he rose through the political system, until he was elected President.

He became the 26th President of Mexico, holding office from January 15th 1858 until July 18th 1872.

Benito Juárez lived during one of the most important and tumultuous periods of Mexican history, considered by many historians as the consolidation of the nation as a republic. Juárez marked a watershed in the nation’s history, being a premier figure in this time.

Juarez was a Zapotec Indian who became a lawyer and politician. In 1861, he was elected president of Mexico.

The following year, the French invaded Mexico. When they captured Mexico City, Juarez fled for his life. Travelling about in his black carriage, he led his country’s fight for freedom from French control.

In 1866, the U.S.A. forced the French to leave Mexico. Juarez, still travelling in his black carriage, returned to his office in Mexico City.

St. Joseph’s Day

In Valencia, Spain, wild figures of colourful animals and people made of paper or wood decorate the streets and squares. There are fireworks, parades, and street dances. Then, around midnight, the city lights up with a fiery blaze as all these figures are burned. It’s March 19, St. Joseph’s Day in Spain!

Saint Joseph was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Roman Catholics honour Joseph as a saint. Most people in Spain are Roman Catholic, so the day is a big celebration in that country. Roman Catholics in other countries also celebrate St. Joseph’s Day.

St. Joseph’s day always falls in Lent, so meals on his day are always associated with meatless dishes. In Italy a tradition is to serve food that contains bread crumbs as these represent saw dust since St. Joseph was a carpenter.

Since Joseph is not mentioned in any accounts of Jesus’ public life, his crucifixion, or resurrection, it is thought that Joseph died before Jesus started preaching.

St. Joseph is the patron saint of the Catholic Church, unborn children, fathers, immigrants, workers, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Despite knowing so little about Joseph, he still has two feast days in the Western church. In his capacity as the patron saint of Workers, 1st May was established as the Feast of “St. Joseph the Worker” in 1955. This is seen as an attempt to counteract the social and non religious growth of Labour Day as a worldwide holiday.