Tag: Holy Week

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

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