Spring Vocabulary (Part Two)
Spring is the season after winter but before summer during which temperatures begin to warm and vegetation begins to appear. In the northern hemisphere, spring officially runs from March to May. In this week’s lesson, we’re going to look at some of the most popular holidays associated with the spring season.
Spring Break: A weeklong school holiday for students. In Cobb County, where the English Island is located, spring break usually occurs the first full week of April. Some parents of school-aged children take advantage of the break to schedule a spring vacation, leaving town for some or all of the break week.
St. Patrick’s Day: A cultural and religious celebration held on March 17th, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. In the United States, St. Patrick’s Day is treated more of less as a secular (nonreligious) holiday. Celebrations consist of dressing in green and wearing symbols traditionally associated with Irish culture, as well as drinking and partying.
Easter: A Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter occurs on a Sunday between March 21st and April 25th. The Friday immediately before Easter is called Good Friday and marks the occasion of Christ’s death. In 2018, Easter falls on April 1st, also known as April Fools’ Day.
Easter also has a secular tradition where brightly colored Easter eggs and painted and hidden for children to find as part of an Easter egg hunt. The idea is that an Easter Bunny hides these eggs, much as Santa Claus brings presents to children on Christmas Eve.
April Fools’ Day: An annual celebration on April 1st dedicated to playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes. The jokes and their victims are called “April fools.” People playing April Fool jokes expose their prank by shouting “April fools!”
May Day: A spring festival celebrated on May 1st. May Day traditions vary from country to country but usually involve dancing, singing, and eating cake.
Passover: An important Jewish religious holiday. Passover is a commemoration of the story of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible, in which the Jewish people are liberated by God from slavery in ancient Egypt. Passover commences on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan and lasts for either seven or eight days, which usually translates to March or April on the Gregorian calendar. In 2018, Passover will begin at sundown on March 30th and end either April 6th or 7th.