April Holidays

Passover food plate, Ramadan white lights and moon, and Easter eggs

April is full of holidays. Ramadan is March 22 - April 21, Passover is April 5 - 13, and Easter is April 9.

Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. In Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude, and compassion for those less fortunate. When breaking the fast each day, dates and water are often consumed. Ramadan is a month of intense spiritual rejuvenation with a heightened focus on devotion, during which Muslims spend extra time reading the Qur’an and performing special prayers. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate one of their major holidays called Eid al-Fitr or the “Festival of the Breaking of the Fast.” Children traditionally receive new clothes and money or gifts from parents, relatives, and friends. A special prayer and sermon are held on the morning of Eid day, followed by a community celebration as friends and family spend the day socializing, eating, and reuniting with old acquaintances.

Children - Nonfiction Books
Children - Picture Books
Teen Reads
Adult Fiction & Nonfiction

Passover is an eight-day Jewish holiday celebrated in the early spring. In Hebrew it is known as Pesach (which means “to pass over”), because God passed over the Jewish homes, saving the firstborn children of Israel. Passover commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. It is observed by avoiding leaven (chametz) because the Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry, that the bread they baked as provisions did not have time to rise. Instead of chametz, a flat unleavened bread called matzah is eaten. The first two nights are highlighted by the Seder meals. The Seder is a 15-step family-oriented tradition and ritual-packed feast, which includes four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus.

Children - Nonfiction Books
Children - Picture and Chapter Books
Adult Fiction & Nonfiction

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament of the Bible, the event is said to have occurred three days after Jesus was crucified by the Romans and died in roughly 30 A.D. The holiday is comprised of a series of events that begins with Lent—40 days of fasting, prayer, and sacrifice—and ends with Holy Week. Holy Week includes Palm Sunday (commemorating Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem), Holy Thursday (the celebration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his 12 Apostles), Good Friday (on which Jesus’ crucifixion is observed), and Easter Sunday. Several non-religious Easter traditions are egg decorating, egg hunts, and Easter baskets given by the Easter Bunny.

Children - Nonfiction Books
Children - Picture Books
Chapter Books & Teen Reads
Adult Nonfiction
Adult Mysteries

Factual information from the Islamic Networks Group, the Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center, and History.

Tags

By BethN on March 20, 2023