APRIL 2024 MORE INFORMATION
Celebrate Diversity Month April is Celebrate Diversity Month, started in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all. By celebrating differences and similarities during this month, organizers hope that people will get a deeper understanding of each other. Autism Acceptance Month was established to raise awareness about and acceptance of the developmental disability that impacts an individual’s experience of the world around them. National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) takes place in April. It celebrates the Arab American heritage and culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans. National Volunteer Month in the United States takes place in the month of April. This month is dedicated to honoring all of the volunteers in our communities as well as encouraging volunteerism throughout the month. World Autism Awareness Day is honored to raise awareness for Autism around the globe. The Qingming or Ching Ming Festival is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the first day of the fifth solar month. The Qingming Festival started over 2,500 years ago during the Zhou Dynasty. Emperors would offer sacrifices in honor of their ancestors in exchange for wealth, peace and good harvests for the country. Eid al-Fitr is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. Passover is an eight-day Jewish holiday in commemoration of the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Day of Silence is GLSEN's annual day of action to spread awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning students. In the United States, students take a day-long vow of silence to symbolically represent the silencing of LGBTQ students. Vaisakhi, or Baisakhi, is the celebration of the founding of the Sikh community as the Khalsa (community of the initiated) and the birth of the Khalsa.
Mahavir Jayanti is a holiday celebrated by the Jains commemorating the birth of Lord Mahavira. It is one of the most important religious festivals for Jains. The Festival of Ridvan is a holiday celebrated by those of the Bahá’í faith to commemorate the 12 days when Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet-founder, resided in a garden called Ridvan (paradise) and publicly proclaimed his mission as God’s messenger for this age. Earth Day promotes world peace and sustainability of the planet. Events are held globally in support of the environmental protection of the Earth. Passover, also called Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday, one of the three pilgrimage festivals, that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt. Pesach starts on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan which is considered the first month of the Hebrew year. St. George’s Day is the feast day of St. George celebrated by various Christian churches. Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday, is the Christian holiday commemorating the Last Supper, at which Jesus and the Apostles were together for the last time before the crucifixion. It is celebrated on the Thursday before Easter. Ninth Day of Ridvan is a festival of joy and unity in the Bahá’í faith to commemorate the reunification of Bahá’u’lláh’s family and by extension the unity of the entire human family the Bahá’í faith calls for. It permeates the symbolic meaning of the Ninth Day of Ridvan.
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