Holidays and Celebrations in April - Some Fun, Some Unusual and Some Strange

Many months have official and traditional holidays that are observed year in and year out. April is not one of these months, however, unless it contains Easter.

Despite the fact that it lacks official holidays or celebrations, it does have celebrations available to make merry on every single day of the month. I have scoured numerous calendars and have found many great reasons to celebrate!

So, take a look at this April calendar and choose some occasions to make merry and enjoy life to the fullest.

National Poetry Month– National Poetry Month was set up in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. One of the main goals of this month long celebration is to introduce people to the pleasures that can be found through the reading of poetry. Click here to learn about 30 different ways to celebrate poetry! It is celebrated in April in the United States and Canada, but in October in Great Britain. This might be the time to challenge yourself to write a poem. Bittersweet Visitation was my one and only attempt as an adult.

Lawn and Garden Month – April is Lawn and Garden Month. In honor of this designation, consider planting a sunflower house with and for your children. What fun! Read these two articles about gardening with kids, Growing Healthy and Happy Kids in the Garden ~ Gardening with Children and 10 Tips for Gardening with Kids ~ Gardening with Children. And if you are interested in an even bigger picture, the farm, check out this article, What is Sustainable Agriculture? What is Agricultural Sustainability?

National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month – In honor of National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month, I challenge you to try the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich. You will never view grilled cheese sandwiches the same again. Also check out 10 other ways to make a grilled cheese sandwich by clicking here.

National Frog Month – Let’s jump for joy because it is National Frog month! Frogs fascinate many both in the wild and as pets. If you like frogs, hop on over to a pond and check out all the life cycles of frogs that are available, from eggs, to tadpoles and finally to frogs. Find out which frogs and toads live near you with this Association of Zoos and Aquariums website

National Card and Letter Writing Month – This month is National Card and Letter Writing Month. Surprise someone you love by sending them a card and/or letter via snail mail. And read this article that is related to the subject, Progress of Communication, or Has It? This celebration is an annual effort to promote literacy and rekindle the art of letter writing. Much of the history of the United States was preserved through written correspondence.

Stress Awareness Month – Even though you may not be aware of it, you are probably stressed. In 1992 the month of April was designated as Stress Awareness Month. During the month of April, many professionals in the health care industry work together to increase public awareness of the causes and cures of stress, which now occurs in epidemic proportions.

Tomatillo and Asian Pear Month – The CDC (Center for Disease Control) understanding the importance of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, has chosen a fruit and a vegetable to highlight monthly. The tomatillo and Asian pear are in the spotlight in April. If you have never tasted tomatillos in a salad, I encourage you to try my Delicious Tomatillo and Tomato Salad.

Workplace Conflict Awareness Month – We are all human, and we all have our own ways of doing things that we think, make that – we know is right. Because of this, wherever humans gather, there will be conflict! The workplace is no exception. Conflict can lead to good things or bad things. Conflict can lead to creative solutions if both parties are willing to work together. But it can also be very destructive if one or both parties are unwilling to work together towards a solution.

National Child Abuse Prevention Month – No child should suffer abuse. Abuses suffered as a child have lasting effects on the individual that lasts a lifetime. And unfortunately the cycle often repeats itself through subsequent generations. Let’s do what we can to keep all children safe. Let’s break the cycle.

National Soft Pretzel Month– April is National Soft Pretzel Month. If you haven’t already, read this article about the history of soft pretzels and then make them, April is National Soft Pretzel Month ~ Soft Pretzel History and Recipe with Pictures. You will be amazed at how easy soft pretzels are to make. Give them a try this month!

Easter often falls in the month of April. There is so much that can be found about Easter and its traditions. Here are a few ideas to whet your appetite.

• Cracking Your Red Easter Eggs and other Greek Orthodox Easter Traditions and Facts

  The differences in Western Easter and Orthodox Easter are plentiful. Find out what some of these are here in this spectacular Greek Easter hub.

• Christian Easter Poems

  Free, religious Christian Easter poems, words, messages, poetry and sayings. Christian Easter poems for children and Easter verses on Jesus Christ.

• Easter: History, Meaning and Observances of Easter - ReligionFacts

  Overview of the Christian holiday of Epiphany, also known as Theophany, covering its history, meaning, observances, and worldwide traditions.

• World's Best Easter Eggs: the Gifts of Faberge

  Of all the Easter Eggs ever made and gifted, there is a particular collection that exists as a testament of craftsmanship and genius. They were gifted as an expression of love and adulation, represent a continued legacy from father to son.

• Easter Crafts Round-Up: 24 Super Cute Easter Crafts

Daily Holidays and Celebrations in April

1 – One Cent Day - In addition to being April Fool’s Day, April 1^st is also One Cent Day. That is truly an April Fool’s joke, after all, what can you buy for one cent anymore. There really is a long list of holidays that are celebrated on this day, including the two already mentioned. Check them out, and while you’re at it, check out How to Amaze Everyone With How One Penny Could Make You Rich. Today, share a lucky penny with someone making them a Lucky Penny Pin. This is a great craft to share with kids also.

2 – National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day–I actually found an article titled, How to Celebrate National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, that explains how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I was surprised at some of the ideas there. It even talked about grilling a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Since April is also National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month, you might consider getting adventurous with this one. Let me know how it turns out for you! (hehehe)

3 – National Find-A-Rainbow Day - When looking for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, you have to find the rainbow first. So if this is your lucky day, you just might find both. Want to read some rainbow legends, click here.

4 – World Rat Day – This holiday is not meant for just any rat. According to worldratday.com it is a holiday designed to recognize the “fancy rat” by rat fanciers. This organization wants to promote the rat as a wonderful pet and companion animal. They want to prove to all that the rat is clean, devoted, intelligent, lovable and gentle.

5 –National Dandelion Day – Today is the day to eat your weeds - dandelions that is! Dandelions are edible, and this time of the year they are popping up everywhere. Check out all these different dandelion recipes. You might want to think about making some dandelion wine or dandelion beer. Read about how dandelions can be used in medicine or read about dandelion tea and it’s benefits.

6 – Tartan Day – In 1320, on this day the Declaration of Arbroath (declaration of Scottish independence) was signed. It wasn’t until the 1990’s, however, that this day became widely celebrated by the Scottish diaspora around the world.

On July 1^st, a similar holiday is celebrated in Australasia, International Tartan Day. July 1^st is the anniversary of the 1747 repeal of a law that banned the wearing of tartan. Tartan Days are typically celebrated with parades, pipe bands, and Highland dancing. Warning: The following videos are somewhat loud.

7 – National No Housework Day – Now this is a day to celebrate! No dirty dishes, no noisy vacuum cleaner, no sweeping, no mopping and best of all NO Guilt. All you have to do is sit around and eat bonbons all day long. In order to fully prepare for this day, read How to Celebrate No Housework Day.

8 – Zoo Lovers Day – It is so much fun to see all the wonderfully unique animals at the zoo and there isn’t a better day than this to visit. Zoo’s give us a special place to see animals in their habitats and to learn more about them.

9 – National Chicken Little Awareness Day – I really can’t think of a better way to celebrate this day than to run around trying to convince everyone that the sky is falling. If you by chance had on a chicken costume when doing this, they might actually believe you. After you have done this, please stop by and tell me how many people you were able to convince. Really! You might also read the story, Chicken Little by Steven Kellogg, to a child today.

10 – One Day Without Shoes Day – This the day to go without shoes to spread the word about the millions who go without shoes to the detriment of their health. A pair of shoes can actually make a difference and impact someone’s health.

11 – National Pet Day – This day has been set aside to celebrate the joys pets bring into our lives. It is also set aside to make the public aware of the plight of animals who find themselves in shelters. Their official website states, “It is estimated that approximately 16,000 pets (only the cats and dogs) die in U.S. shelters every day.” These numbers are astronomical meaning that every single hour 667 unfortunate cats and dogs breathe their last. Wanting to end on a happier note, check out this article, Cute Puppy Pictures ~ National Puppy Day ~ Puppy Love.

12 – Big Wind Day – Along with many other holidays, this one seems to have an interesting name. Can you imagine how this holiday came about? It has to do with the strongest velocity of natural wind ever measured on the surface of the earth. What do you think that wind speed would be? It was much greater than I would have imagined. And it wasn’t measured anywhere near the “windy city” of Chicago. On April 12, 1934, at New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington observatory, weather surveyors recorded wind reaching 231 miles per hour! As a point of reference, most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 mph (177 km/h). Since that day, April 12^th has been celebrated as Big Wind Day. I could not resist adding this article for your enjoyment on this day, Farting Is Back With A Bang. In History The Royals And Top Celebrities Float Air Biscuits.

13 – National Scrabble Day – Scrabble was created in 1938 by Alfred Mosher Butts; however, the game did not become popular until the 1950’s when a Macy’s executive first played Scrabble while on vacation. He loved the game and began stocking it in his store and it soon became a household name. I love to play the game and there are even 5 good reasons to play Scrabble. Check them out.

14 – International Moment of Laughter Day – Today is the day to laugh and laugh out loud, just for the fun of it. Don’t feel like laughing, here are some articles to give you a helping hand:

• Sexy Bikini Nun! Time to Take Your Medicine! Things that Make Us Laugh!
• What about the "Signs of the Times"? Useless, Stupid, Dumb and Funny Signs
• Who is The Cat in the Mirror; Cat Idioms; Funny Cat Videos – This one has crazy cat videos!
• 25 More Cat Idioms and Funny Cat Videos – This one has even crazier cat videos!

15 – Titanic Remembrance Day – on this day in 1912, more than 1500 people lost their lives when the Titanic sank. The movie, Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet is on the really brought this tragedy home for me, and has scenes that will forever haunt me. This would be a great day to view this movie again, so grab the movie, some popcorn, and a box of tissues. Something I didn’t know until researching this topic, just over 706 people survived the wreckage. Once you start reading about the Titanic you soon realize there are many interesting “Titanic Facts”.

16 – National Stress Awareness Day – You may not be aware of it, but you are probably under stress, maybe even over-stressed. Most of us are. As hard as it is for adults to cope with stress, it is even more difficult for children. Stress management is something that children need to be taught. Check out Kids and Stress ~ Stress Management for Children and Helping Your Child Discover What is Causing Stress in their Lives to learn more about this important issue. If you are a caregiver and need some advice on stress relief, click here.

17 – Bat Appreciation Day – This special day is set aside for everyone to learn more about bats. It is scheduled to be around the time that bats would begin coming out of hibernation. It is intended to make people more aware of bats before possible interactions between the two occur. As a fun way to celebrate the day, see how many times you can get someone to talk to you about bats! It just might drive them batty!

18 – International Jugglers Day – This day was created to help spread the fun of juggling and to bring jugglers together from all over the world. Watch the following video to see how International Jugglers Day is celebrated all over the world.

If you want to learn how to juggle, here is a video tutorial that should do it for you!

19 – Oklahoma City Bombing Commemoration Day – On this day in 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was destroyed by a terrorist bomb. This blast took 168 lives and injured more than 680 people. A memorial was constructed to the cost of $29 million. This memorial is now a part of the National Park Service. It was dedicated by President Bill Clinton exactly five years to the day of the bombing on April 19, 2000.

20 – Husband Appreciation Day – If you’ve got one, today is the day to let him know how very much you appreciate him. You might also want to check out this article, Choosing to Love your Spouse. And if that doesn’t do it for you, watching this video may help you appreciate your husband even more.

21 – National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day - I’m tempted not to share this one with you and keep it all for myself! This sounds like a wonderful way to get your chocolate fix! Looking for scrumptious recipes featuring chocolate-covered cashews, then look no further than this.

22 – National Jelly Bean Day – Who doesn’t like jelly beans? Check out, 8 Ideas to Celebrate National Jelly Bean Day. Feel free to munch on these delectable delights all day long. This is the one day that they are absolutely calorie free! Looking for other ways to celebrate jelly beans – how about Jelly Bean Fudge?

23 – World Book & Copyright Day - This is an unusual date in history! April 23^rd marks the birth or death of many well-known authors including Cervantes, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, and Shakespeare who all died on this day in 1616. It is a natural choice to take time to pay a tribute to books and authors, encouraging everyone to enjoy the pleasure of reading.

24 – Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day – Everyone has probably had pigs-in-a-blanket, but you may not know that there is more than one way to put that pig to rest! In the US, they are hot dogs, Vienna sausages, or other sausages wrapped in biscuit dough (often crescent roll dough); but in the UK, they are small sausages wrapped in bacon. Yum! Today would be a good day to try one or the other, or even both.

25 – Red Hat Society Day – If you have ever witnessed a group of women in red hats and purple outfits, you have seen a group of women who are having fun! They often do crazy things. I know! I was a member of one and had to wear the pink hat. You have to wear a pink hat until you grow up (turn 50) enough to wear the red hat! They even had a ceremony for me when I turned fifty and gave me my first red hat. If you are looking for another way to have fun, this might be your cup of tea! Check out the Red Hat Facts! The mission of the Red Hat Society is to support and encourage women in their pursuit of fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment, and fitness.

26 – National Pretzel Day – Not only is April National Soft Pretzel Month, but the 26^th is National Pretzel Day! This is the day to enjoy your pretzels. If you haven’t read this article, April is National Soft Pretzel Month ~ Soft Pretzel History and Recipe with Pictures, now is the time to do it and then make those delicious buttery flavored soft pretzels. I saved an interesting tidbit on the history of the pretzel for this day though. In 17^th century Switzerland, pretzels were used in marriage ceremonies and symbolized the marriage bond – this is where the term “tying the knot” originated!

27 – National Hairball Awareness Day – Got hairballs? If so, you are not alone! We share our homes with more than 90 million cats and as the weather starts warming up, they start leaving more than cute little dust bunnies behind. (There is not a whole lot worse that stepping on a cold one in the dark in the middle of the night! Trust me!) This day is meant to draw attention to . . . hairballs? . . . like we need someone to, right? And you absolutely have to check this out to learn how to celebrate this day with style. Oh my goodness!

28 – Save the Frogs Day – Save the Frogs Day was a hard one to pin down. In past years it has been celebrated on the 27^th, the 28^th, and the 29^th. This was the lucky day I chose to nail it down. Check out Facebook’s Save the Frog page.

29 – Zipper Day – The history of the zipper is an interesting story. It hard to imagine, but it took more than 80 years after its invention for the zipper to become popular.

30 – National Oatmeal Cookie Day – What a great way to end out the month with great comfort food – oatmeal cookies. At least I consider them to be comfort food. And to make it even better, they’re fairly good for you too with the healthy carbohydrates and the fiber from the oats. Sounds like a good reason to have your fill of cookies today! allrecipes.com has 210 tested and rated oatmeal cookie recipes.

There you have it. That winds up April. Hope you found lots of great ways to celebrate April – to celebrate life in general. Until next month . . .