April is the fourth month of the year, according to the Gregorian calendar, which is used by most of the world today. The Romans called the month Aprilis. This name might have come from a word meaning to open, or from the name of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. April was the second month in an early Roman calendar. However, it became the fourth month when the ancient Romans moved the beginning of the year to January. On the first of April, April Fools’ Day, people all over the world cause mischief and play tricks on each other.
Many cultures celebrate the arrival of spring, or other aspects of the natural world, in April. Walpurgis Night is a spring celebration held in Sweden and Finland on April 30. People there welcome spring with bonfires, singing, and parties. The Japanese hold Sakura Matsuri, the Cherry Blossom Festival in April. In the Netherlands, flower parades are held toward the end of April, when the tulips are blooming. Many people plant trees on Arbor Day, which occurs on different dates in different countries. Many nations celebrate Earth Day on April 22. This holiday was organized in 1970 to raise awareness of the environment. The Angolan Feast of Nganja, a celebration of the corn harvest, has no specific date, but always occurs in April.
Some cultures welcome the New Year in this month. Nava Varsha, the Nepalese New Year, falls on or near April 13. Several countries in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, also celebrate the new year at this time. In Thailand, the holiday is called Songkran.
Chakri Day, April 6, marks the date in 1782 when King Rama I took control of Siam’s (now Thailand’s) government. Matatirtha Aunsi, Nepalese Mothers’ Day, also falls in April. The Christian celebration of Easter often occurs in this month, as does the Jewish festival of Pesah, also known as Passover.
April’s flowers are the daisy and the sweet pea. The birthstone for April is the diamond.
