your month ahead – Important upcoming dates for your calendar
Eid al-Fitr, on or around 9 April, depending on the first date of Ramadan
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and, for many Muslims, a month-long fast during daylight hours. It is a joyous celebration, usually focused on food, especially desserts. However, with approximately 2 billion Muslims worldwide, celebrations vary from country to country.
One of the five pillars of Islam is zakat, which means giving to charity. At Eid al-Fitr, there is special charitable giving called Zakat al-Fitr. It is usually given in advance of Eid, so that those in need of it can use it to celebrate.
Wish your Muslim friends an Eid Mubarak, which means ‘blessed Eid’!
Good Friday, 29 March; Easter Sunday, 31 March; and Easter Monday, 1 April
Easter is the most important festival of the Christian calendar and commemorates Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. It lasts for the whole week from Palm Sunday, a week before Easter Day, but here we look at the three main celebrations: Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. It commemorates Christ’s crucifixion. It is a sad day for Christians, which is honoured with a special service in church, where Christians remember Christ’s suffering, which they believe was to save us.
In some countries, there are special Good Friday processions, or re-enactments of the crucifixion.
Easter Sunday marks the occasion, two days later, when some of Christ’s disciples went to the cave where he had been buried, to find that the rock marking the entrance had been moved aside. Two men appeared and told them that Jesus had risen as he had said he would. Later, Jesus appeared to Mary and on another occasion to his followers. It was then that they believed he had been resurrected.
Easter is celebrated with symbols of new life, such as eggs, spring flowers and baby animals. It marks the end of Lent, a period of fasting and deprivation for Christians. Across the world, it is celebrated in many diverse ways, but these often focus on food.
Easter Monday itself is not an explicitly religious day, though it is marked by Christians celebrating Christ’s resurrection. It is the last day of a long weekend and the date of many traditions around the world, such as egg-rolling or parades.
FREE online events
Racism & Race Awareness – Lunch & Learn Tickets, Tue 9 Apr 2024 at 14:00 | Eventbrite
Join the Inclusive Employers Community! – Inclusive Employers, 18 April at 10:00
April’s dates at a glance
Religious and Cultural
1 – Easter Monday, Christian
6 – Laylat Al-Qadr, Islam
9 – Chaitra Navratri begins, Hindu
9 – Ugadi (New Year), Hindu
10 – Eid Al-Fitr, Islam
13 – Songkran (Thai New Year), Buddhist
13 – Vaisakhi, Hindu And Sikh
14 – Puthandu, Hindu
15 – Navpad Oli begins, Jain
17 – Rama Navami, Hindu
18 – Birthday Of Guru Angad Dev, Sikh
21 – First day of Ridvan, Baha’i
21 – Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, Jain
21 – Grounation Day, Rastafari
23 – Saint George’s Day, Christian
23 – Hanuman Jayanti, Hindu
23-30 – Passover, Judaism
24-26 – Theravada New Year, Buddhist
25 – Feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist, Catholic Christian
27 – Lazarus Saturday, Orthodox Christian
28 – Palm Sunday, Orthodox Christian
29 – Ninth day of Ridvan, Baha’i
30 – Saint James The Great’s Day, Orthodox Christian
Awareness and Events
1 – Fools’ Day
2 – World Autism Awareness Day
6 – International Asexuality Day
7 – World Health Day
8 – International Romani Day
22 – Earth Day
22-28 – Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week
25 – World Malaria Day
26-28 – Tuc’s Black Workers’ Conference
26 – Lesbian Visibility Day
28 – World Day for Health and Safety at Work
