National Arab American and Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) American Heritage Month celebrates the culture, traditions, contributions, and history of the more than 3.5 million Arab Americans and MENA Americans in the United States. Arab Americans have ancestry from the world’s 22 Arab nations (Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco,…
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National Volunteer Month is a month dedicated to recognizing volunteering and the importance to make significant contributions to worthy causes. Many organizations in small towns, rural counties, and the largest cities would not function without volunteers. Volunteerism is encouraged throughout the month of April.
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Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection, and prayer for Muslims. It celebrates the month during which Muhammad received the initial revelations of the Quran, the holy book for Muslims. Fasting is one of the five fundamental principles of Islam. Each day during Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to sunset. Fasting is seen as a way to cleanse the soul and have empathy for…
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Each April, Scottish-American Heritage Month highlights Scottish heritage and remembers the Scottish-Americans who have had an impact on U.S. society. The influence of Scottish ancestry is woven deeply into the fabric of America. Many of the founding fathers of our country were of Scottish ancestry. The Scots fled political oppression, poverty, and starvation to come to the new world of America.…
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Palm Sunday is a Christian religious feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. For many Christians, Palm Sunday (also referred to as Passion Sunday) marks the beginning of Holy Week, which observes Christ’s “Passion,” or the period of his sacrificial suffering, death and resurrection as told in each of the four canonical…
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Good Friday (Holy Friday) is a day when members of many Christian denominations, including the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Oriental Orthodox and Reformed traditions, observe Jesus's death on the cross. The date of Good Friday varies from one year to the next based on the Gregorian and Julian calendars. On these days, adults abstain from eating meat following one of…
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Passover, also called Pesach is a major Jewish holiday. Passover commemorates the story of the Israelites' escape from slavery and departure from ancient Egypt. Strict dietary laws must be observed, and special prohibitions restrict work at the beginning and end of the celebration. The first night is often celebrated with a special family meal called the seder. At the seder, symbolic foods are…
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Easter is a Christian festival which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead three days after his sacrificial suffering and crucifixion by the Romans, as described in the New Testament. The Christian celebration of Easter stretches back to the 2nd century, although it is widely believed that commemorations of Christ occurred sooner than that. Easter customs vary across the…
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Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is observed in commemoration for the approximately six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany. This day recognizes the Jewish resistance and the strength of the Jewish people. It is a day of mourning and remembrance, as well as education. It is held on the 27th of Nisan (which falls in April or May), unless the 27th would be adjacent to…
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Laylat al-Qadr (also known as Lailat al Qadr or Laylatul Qadr) is the holiest night of the year for Muslims and falls within Ramadan’s final 10 days. The name translates to “Night of Power.” On this night, a single act of kindness gives the blessings of 1,000 months. Muslims observe this night with prayer and devotional readings of the Quran.
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