Cultural Awareness Brief from The Justice William J. Murray Jr. Unity Bar Section  

April is Celebrate Diversity Month, recognizing and honoring the diversity surrounding us all; Autism Acceptance Month, raising awareness about and acceptance of the developmental disability that impacts an individual’s experience of the world around them; Deaf History Month, recognizing key events in deaf history including the founding of Gallaudet University and the American School for the Deaf; National Arab American Heritage Month, celebrating the Arab American heritage and culture and paying tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans; Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation, and Prevention Month in Canada to remember the victims of genocide and honor the courage and resilience of all survivors and their descendants; and Sikh Heritage Month in Canada celebrating Sikh arts, culture, and heritage.

April 1 to 9 is Passover, an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. April 2 is Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), a Christian holiday commemorating the Last Supper at which Jesus and the Apostles were together for the last time before the crucifixion. April 2 is Lord’s Evening Meal, celebrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses to commemorate the event believed to have occurred on the first night of Passover that Christians call the Last Supper. April 2 is also World Autism Awareness Day, created to raise awareness around the globe. April 3 is Good Friday, a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus. April 4 is Holy Saturday (Easter Saturday), a Christian holiday commemorating the Harrowing of Hell as Christ laid on his tomb after he was crucified and died the day before; and Lazarus Saturday, celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy to commemorate the raising from the dead of Lazarus of Bethany. April 5 is Easter, a holiday celebrated by Christians to recognize Jesus’s return from death after the crucifixion. April 5 is Qingming Festival, a traditional Chinese festival celebrating spring. April 6 is Easter Monday, the day after Easter Sunday, a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

April 7 is World Health Day, commemorating the anniversary of the founding of WHO (World Health Organization) in 1948, focusing on health awareness and working toward improved global health. April 9 is Day of Valor (Araw ng Kagitingan), a national observance in the Philippines commemorating the fall of Bataan to Japanese troops during World War II. April 12 is The Day of Silence, during which American students take a daylong vow of silence to protest the actual silencing of LGBTQ+ students and their straight allies due to bias and harassment. April 12 is Orthodox Easter (or Pascha); this date applies to Orthodox Christian traditions worldwide, including Greek and Russian Orthodox churches. April 14 is Vaisakhi (or Baisakhi), the celebration of the founding of the Sikh community as the Khalsa (community of the initiated) and the birth of the Khalsa.

April 20 to May 2 is The Festival of Ridvan, a holiday celebrated by those of the Bahá’í faith commemorating the twelve 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. April 21 is Tiradentes Day, a holiday in Brazil that pays tribute to Tiradentes, a leading figure in the Brazilian struggle for independence from Portugal. April 21 to 22 is Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s national day or independence day commemorating the Israel Declaration of Independence. April 22 is Earth Day promoting world peace and sustainability of the planet; events are held globally in support of environmental protection of the Earth; and International Mother Earth Day promoting world peace and sustainability of the planet. April 23 is St. George’s Day, the feast day of St. George celebrated by various Christian churches. April 24 is Armenian Martyrs’ Day (or Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day) recognizing the genocide of approximately 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 in Turkey.

April 25 is ANZAC Day, a holiday in Australia and New Zealand commemorating the landing in 1915 of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) on the Gallipoli Peninsula; Freedom Day, a Portuguese holiday commemorating the 1974 victory over the dictatorial Estado Novo (New State) fascist government; and Liberation Day, an Italian holiday commemorating the victory of the Italian resistance movement against Nazi Germany and the Italian Social Republic. April 26 is Koningsdag (King’s Day), a holiday in the Netherlands commemorating the birthday of King Willem-Alexander. April 28 is Showa Day, a holiday in Japan honoring the birthday of Emperor Shōwa who ruled from 1926 to 1989; it kicks off Japan’s “Golden Week,” a week of public holidays during which many Japanese take time off to travel. April 28 is also Ninth Day of Ridvan, 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.