The Month of April 2023: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore

The Month of April

The month of April gets its name from the Latin word aperio, meaning “to open [bud],” because plants really begin to grow now. Read more about how the months got their names.

April Calendar

• April 1 is All Fools’ Day—otherwise known as “April Fools’ Day.” Where did this silly day come from?
• April 2 is Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter and the last Sunday of Lent.
• April 5 is the start of Passover, which begins at sundown on this day. 
• April 7 is Good Friday. Learn more about Good Friday.
• April 9 is Easter Sunday. (April 16 is Orthodox Easter.) Did you know that Easter’s date is related to the full Moon?
• April 22 is Earth Day. To celebrate, see some Earth Day ideas and activities.
• April 24 is the birthday of Robert B. Thomas, the founder of The Old Farmer’s Almanac!
• April 28 is National Arbor Day. Find out who started Arbor Day and how we observe this day honoring trees.

“Just for Fun” Days

• Apr. 1 (first Saturday in April): International Pillow Fight Day
• Apr. 3 (first Monday in April): Sweet Potato Day
• Apr. 7: National No Housework Day
• Apr. 10: Gopher Tortoise Day (Florida)
• Apr. 16 (third Sunday in April): Go Fly a Kite Day
• Apr. 17: Blah, Blah, Blah Day
• Apr. 26: National Richter Scale Day
• Apr. 29 (last Saturday in April): National Sense of Smell Day

April Astronomy

The Pink Moon

April’s full Pink Moon will rise on Wednesday, April 5, reaching peak illumination at 12:37 A.M. Eastern Time. This full Moon is also the Paschal Full Moon this year. Learn more about April’s full Moon here!

April Weather

“A cold April the barn will fill.”

This month brings us some capricious weather! April rains bring verdant pastures, but also umbrellas and rain boots!

See your 5-day forecast and long-range weather forecast to plan ahead.

Recipes for the Season

Springtime brings the first crops of the season. See a few of our favorite seasonal recipes:

• Cream of Fiddlehead Soup
• Risotto with Scallops and Asparagus
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

See all our Spring Recipe Collection using seasonal ingredients from across North America!

Gardening

Does the warmth of spring turn your thoughts to gardening? 

• Make a Container Gardening Planter
• Growing Guides for Vegetables, Herbs, Flowers, and More
• Learn how to garden step-by-step!

Everyday Advice

Are you daunted by the thought of a top-to-bottom spring cleaning? Here are some tips to help.

• Make Your Own Cleaners
• Homemade Cleaners for Carpet, Floor, Glass, Drains

Credit: Kazoka/Shutterstock

Birds & Fishing

Enjoy the signs of spring! 

• Creating a Bird-Friendly Habitat
• Listen to Bird Sounds
• Best Fishing Days for April

April Birthstone & Birth Flower

 Birthstone: Diamond. Read more about diamonds!

Birth Flowers: Daisy and Sweet Pea. Read about April’s birth flowers.

April’s Quiz

Which event did not happen in April?

A. “Shot heard ’round the world”/Battles of Lexington and Concord

B. Mutiny on the HMS Bounty

C. First transcontinental railroad completed at Promontory Summit in Utah Territory 

D. Harrowing flight of Apollo 13

See answer below!

Rhyme Time

April cold with dripping rain
Willows and lilacs brings again,
The whistle of returning birds,
And trumpet-lowing of the herds.
–Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82)

Oh, how fresh the wind is blowing!
See! The sky is bright an clear,
Oh, how green the grass is growing!
April! April! Are you here?
–Dora R. Goodale (1866–1953)

ANSWER TO QUIZ:  C, on May 10, 1869. (A. April 19, 1775; B. April 28, 1789; D. April 11–17, 1970)