Tag: Easter

April: A Month for Observances and Remembrance

In this post I start with a mention of April Fools’ Day, with its origins traced back to Renaissance Europe. More solemn days in April include Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter, commemorating notable events in Christianity. Additionally, April 19 marks the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, a tragic event in U.S. history. And I list various health observances. Enjoy reading.

Were you the victim or the perpetrator of an April Fool’s Day prank this year?

Scan your favorite newspapers or news websites, and you’ll likely see some suspicious headlines. Read further, and you’ll probably find that some of those stories are complete hoaxes. After all, it’s April Fools’ Day.

But where do we get the strange custom of playing pranks on April 1? The short answer is that nobody knows for sure. All we know is that the custom was known in Renaissance Europe, and probably has roots older than that.

You may, or may not, learn more from this article from the Library of Congress-no April’s Fool.

April Fools: The Roots of an International Tradition

The Christian Holy Week

Palm Sunday, a special day in the Christian faith, in 2025 is on April 13.

Image of Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem, from LIGHTSTOCK.COM, affiliate link

Palm Sunday, April 13, recalls the story in the New Testament of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, greeted by people waving palm branches. (John chapter 12)

On April 18 Christians observe the Friday before Easter as “Good Friday”, although the events remembered are dark and somber. On this day, as recorded in the New Testament, Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross, died, and was buried.

Thus, a cross became the best-known symbol of Christianity.

Easter, April 20, and Christmas are the most observed holy days for Christians, although many celebrate them as secular holidays.

Easter marks the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion on Good Friday. For Christian churches, Easter is the joyful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence.

Some Christian faiths observe these on different dates.

April 19-remembering Oklahoma City, 30 years ago

April 19 always occurs between April 18 and April 20. But this year it falls between Good Friday and Easter.

On April 19, 1995, a domestic terrorist left a bomb in a truck in front of the federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

(I lived there for 7 years while I was in medical school and residency at the University of Oklahoma. )

168 people died, including 19 children.

Until 9/11/2001, it was the greatest loss of life due to terrorism on U.S. soil. I remains the worst domestic terrorist tragedy in this country.

The incident was shocking and traumatic to our entire country but especially here in our state. Oklahoma is usually a peaceful place; we deal with tornadoes and floods but not bombings.

So every year we remember the victims, their families, and especially those who rescued the wounded, and the survivors who rebuilt their lives.

The Survivor Tree
The Survivor Tree -This tree standing in a parking lot across from the Murrah Federal Building survived the 1995 bombing. Today it stands next to the Nation Memorial Museum.
photo by Dr. Aletha

Health Observances in April

Alcohol Awareness Month

Autism Awareness Month

Child Abuse Prevention Month

Donate Life Month

Earth Day-April 22

This year is the 55th anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970.

The theme for Earth Day 2025 is OUR POWER, OUR PLANET.

Organizers invite everyone around the globe to unite behind renewable energy. They propose a goal to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030.

Cover image

Cherry Blossoms around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., by photographer Carol Highsmith, used by permission, from the Library of Congress

    exploring the HEART of health

    I’d love for you to follow this blog. I share information and inspiration to help you turn health challenges into health opportunities.

    Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

    I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

    Dr. Aletha
    RoboForm Password Manager. What I use to manage passwords.

    Go to this link to try RoboForm Free;

    if you like it you can upgrade to RoboForm Everywhere version with all the features

    With Roboform, you will have one less thing to feel stressed about. (affiliate link)

    The HEART of Easter

    Modern choirs perform Messiah at Christmas, but Handel wrote it to be performed at Easter. The lyrics of the songs in Messiah  explore the HEART of the  Bible with passages that tell the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.

    “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”

    Job 19:25

    He is Risen-praise, honor, glory, power, king of kings-Hallelujah
    graphic from LIGHTSTOCK.COM, an affiliate link

     “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

    But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. “

    1 Corinthians 15:56-57

     
     

    “Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”

    Dr. Handel and his son 

    I know  families with multiple physicians, including parents, siblings, or children. My grandfather was a dentist, but he died before I was born. My sons had no interest in medicine and instead chose technology careers.

    Georg Handel was a barber-surgeon in northern Germany in the 17th century. Barber-surgeons were physicians in medieval Europe who only performed surgery, often treating wounds from war injuries. Eventually, surgery and barbery became separate occupations.

    His son George did not follow his father into medicine. Instead George Frideric Handel  followed his HEART and studied music and eventually composed his masterpiece , Messiah, first performed in 1742, and presented countless times since then.

     Modern choirs perform Messiah at Christmas, but Handel wrote it to be performed at Easter. The lyrics of the songs in Messiah  explore the HEART of the  Bible with passages that tell the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.

    The London Symphony Orchestra presents Handel's Messiah

    Find Handel’s Messiah on iTunes.

    The HEART of Easter-watercresswords.com

    The scripture references in this post are used as lyrics in songs from Messiah, including the song that brings the audience to its feet, Hallelujah.

    Text for “Hallelujah” comes from the book of Revelation in the New Testament.

    • Revelation 19:6: “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
    • Revelation 19:16: “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.”
    • Revelation 11:15 reads, “And he shall reign for ever and ever.”

    The kingdom of this world;

    is become the kingdom of our Lord,

    and of His Christ

    And He shall reign forever and ever

    King of kings and Lord of lords

    Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

    Hallelujah

    sharing the HEART of Easter

    Dr Aletha