Good Friday and Easter
Christianity –Gregorian Calendar
April 6-8, 2012
On Good Friday, Christians remember Jesus’ crucifixion. Easter Sunday celebrates his Resurrection. Easter Monday is also celebrated as a holy day by some Christian cultures.
Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus’ Resurrection after his death caused by crucifixion on Good Friday. Easter Monday is celebrated as a holiday by some Christian cultures. Easter is considered to be the oldest and most important festival in the Christian year, as the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus is meant to renew a Christian’s commitment to living a life of truth, justice, and love. Many Christians mark Easter by attending church services over the weekend, and for some, this includes a midnight mass and candlelight vigil on Saturday. Families often gather together for dinner on Sunday to celebrate the Resurrection.
Pesach/Passover
Judaism
April 6 (at sundown) – April 14, 2012 (in full)
April 6 (at sundown) -8, 2012 (first two days of Passover)
April 12 (at sundown) - 14, 2012 (last two days of Passover)
Passover, or Pesach, the Jewish Festival of Unleavened Bread (Matzah), commemorates the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. It is celebrated for eight days with special prayers and symbolic foods at home. It is a “festival of freedom” to remind Jews of how God released their ancestors from slavery and brought them to freedom in a Promised Land.
The Seder—the traditional meal held on the first night of this holiday—is often attended by extended families. Also, because charity and community are such important elements of the holiday, it is common for families to invite to their Seder people who, for whatever reason, are not able to have one of their own.
Mahavir Jayanti
Jainism
April 6, 2012
Jainism is an ancient religion of India that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice rely mainly on self-effort to advance the soul up the spiritual ladder to divine consciousness. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state of Supreme Being is called "Jina".
International Roma Day
April 8, 2012
International Roma Day is a day that brings attention to the challenges that continue to face the Roma people; it is a day to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights for all people, but particularly the Roma people worldwide.
What is the Day of Pink?
April 11, 2012
April 11th marks the International Day of Pink. It is a day where communities across the country, and across the world, can unite in celebrating diversity and raising awareness to stop homophobic, transphobic & all forms of bullying. The International Day of Pink was started in Nova Scotia when 2 straight high school students saw a gay student wearing a pink shirt being bullied. The 2 students intervened, but wanted to do more to prevent homophobic and transphobic bulling. They decided to purchase pink shirts, and a few days later got everyone at school to arrive wearing pink, standing in solidarity. The result was that an entire school stopped homophobic & transphobic bullying.
The message was clear: anyone can bully, any can be victimized by bullying, but together we can stop it. Each year on the second Wednesday of April, millions of people wear pink to remember that positive actions make a difference. And that the change starts with each one of us.
Easter/Pascha (Orthodox Christianity -Julian Calendar)
Christianity – Coptic/Eastern Orthodox –Julian Calendar
April 13-15, 2012
Holy Friday remembers Jesus’ submissioncrucifixion and Easter Sunday celebrates his Resurrection. Many of thetraditions that bond generations together in the Orthodox tradition occurduring the celebration of Easter. One of the most prominent rituals of theOrthodox Easter is the 40-day Lenten fast, where no meat or dairy is eaten. Thefast is typically broken on Sunday morning at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. following theevening Church service, where candles are lit and a celebratory hymn is sung inhonour of the Resurrection of Christ.
Baisakhi
Hinduism/Sikhism/Buddhism
April 14, 2012
Baisakhi, the Sikh New Year, is celebrated in April every year. Baisakhi is also celebrated in some parts of India, particularly in some of the northern and eastern states.
Earth Day
United Nations
April 22, 2012
Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future.
Earth Day can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Earth Day Network is galvanizing millions who make personal commitments to sustainability. It is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day
