April, facts and fiction . . .

 

I thought it would be fun today since the month of April has just begun, to share with you all the things I know about the month of April, folklore, etc.  beginning with where its name comes from! Of course most of what I am sharing applies to the UK, but you still might find it interesting nonetheless!

Hello April! 

The Roman month Aprilis is derived from the word "Aperio", meaning "To Open."  Fruits and flowers, animals and lands and seas do appear to open this month with the advent of spring, a great time of renewal, not to mention the "opening of the heavens" with April showers!   

 

Birthstones for the calendar month of April are diamond, opal, and sapphire. The Zodiac signs of Aries and Taurus include nine additional stones: bloodstone, topaz, jasper, coral, amber, turquoise, emerald, aventurine, and garnet.

 

The April Birth flowers are Sweet Peas and Daisies. 

The Sweet Pea: While sweet peas signify blissful pleasure, on the other hand they are also used to say good-bye. Perhaps Shakespeare had sweet peas in mind when he wrote the immortal words: “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

The Daisy: The daisy conveys innocence, loyal love, and purity. Yet, it is also a flower given between friends to keep a secret; the daisy means “I’ll never tell.” 

People born in April are kind and sympathetic. Whether they are offering an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on, those born in April have the uncanny ability to cheer up those around them and make them laugh. Their understanding natures gives them the ability to motivate themselves and others.

 April babies are outgoing and athletic. Charm and confidence are two additional characteristics that people born in April naturally possess. Notable (fictional) characters born in April include animated smart-aleck Bart Simpson (born April 1, 1979) and heavyweight boxer Rocky Balboa (born April 6, 1946).

 People born in April are less affected by certain diseases. According to a Washington Post study, April babies were less likely to develop neurological, respiratory or reproductive issues later in life.

April babies are fearless risk takers. There’s never a dull moment with April babies, who are enthusiastic about everything they do and unafraid of taking risks. That’s great news if you’re a parent who doesn’t like to stay still because April babies are feisty and possess seemingly boundless energy.

Career options are limitless for April babies. While pilots are statistically more likely to be born in March, there doesn’t appear to be a pattern for the career paths taken by April babies, which means that those born in April pursue careers across the job spectrum.

April babies are natural-born leaders. Thanks to their ambitious and tenacious natures, people born in April are meant to be leaders. They can be innately stubborn and bossy—a potent combination (when used right) that can lead to those born in April to achieving their goals.

April babies can be emotional. Whether they are ecstatic or enraged, April babies hold their emotions close to the surface. They can be competitive, which makes them well-suited to sports, but have a tendency to lose interest quickly. Keeping April babies on track and focused is key.

 

The first day of April is generally known as April Fool's Day, or All Fool's Day.  I tried to find out where and how it started but very little is known about that. It remains somewhat of a mystery, although it has been celebrated since the 1500's.  

From History - Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes. These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “poisson d’avril” (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person. 

Historians have also linked April Fools’ Day to festivals such as Hilaria, which was celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of March and involved people dressing up in disguises. There’s also speculation that April Fools’ Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather.

 April Fools’ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.

We always enjoyed celebrating it when I was growing up, although we were told it only lasted until noon.  So no pranks after lunch hour.  I also enjoyed it with my own children when they were growing up.

 

Moon Phases 

New Moon - April 5th

1st Quarter - April 12th

Full Moon  - April 19th

3rd Quarter - April 26th  

Take note of the Meteor Shower called the Lyrids which should be visible towards the end of the  month, when the earth's orbit takes it through dust particles left behind by Comet Thatcher which passed us in 1861 before setting off on its own 415 year orbit around the sun.  The shower runs from the 16th to the 25th of April, but will peak in intensity  on the night and early morning of  the 22nd and 23rd, when you can hope to see up to 20  meteors per hour, if lucky.

 

My friend Susan who lives down in Norfolk has been watching her Red Mason Bees hatch. When these crucial first worker bees of the year chew their way out of  their cells, they go straight to work visiting wild cherry blossom, clowslips, dandelions, clover and the first apple blossom and bluebells, which is just the beginning of their years work.

Already we have seen fat bumble bees visiting the emerging flora in our garden. Not much yet for them to enjoy here, but lots of promise. 

 

Over here we can be on the watch out for Brimstone Butterflies. These are the first butterflies of the year with the males being a butter yellow colour and the females palest green.  The reason they are so early to appear is because they hibernate through Winter as adults in wall cracks, tree hollows and outbuildings, rather than over-wintering as pupae.  It is thought that the word "Butterfly" actually derived from "Butter Coloured Fly" after the male of this species.  I cannot recall ever seeing one, but will be on the look out this year!  

 

Bluebell woods product one of the greatest natural spectacles of the British Isles this month and next.  The exact timing depends on where you live and how cold it has been.  This is the woodland floor grabbing hold of its moment in the brief period between winter-ending and the canopy filling out with leaf, blocking light, creating a temporal niche filled with a sea of purple-blue flower.  The most stunning shows will be  the canopies that cast the densest summer shade, as this supresses competing ground cover and lets the bluebells dominate.  They are indicators of ancient woodlands, so their presence suggests that a wood dates back to at least the 1600's.  

And of course there are religious holidays to look forward to such as Passover (if you are Jewish) and Easter ( for the Christians.)  This year Passover begins on the evening of the 19th of April, and Easter begins with Palm Sunday on the 14th, culminating in Easter Sunday on the 21st.

Some other days to celebrate:

April 3rd -  Isra and Mi'raj - the miraculous night journey (Muslim)

April 8th - Vesak - Buddah Day (Budddhist)

April 14th - Vaisakhi (Sikh and Hindu celebration of the solar new year)

also - Rama Navani (Hindu celebration of the god Rama)

April 23rd - Saint Georges Day, patron Saint of England, as well as Shakespeare Day

And there you have it, all the quirky things I found out

about the month of April.  Is there anything

you might like to add?

Well, today is the day we are going to move our big china cabinet over to the space that was left when we moved the sideboard.  I hope that Todd doesn't give himself a hernia trying.  It will also be a great opportunity for me to go through it and get rid of any tat.  At least it won't involve the sorting out of any electrical appliances!  Whew! 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *People don't grow 

where they are planted,

they grow where they are loved.

~Bob Goff    •。★★ 。* 。 

 

In the kitchen today . . .  Devilled Pork Chops with Scalloped Potatoes.  Delish! 

Have a fabulous Wednesday.  Be back tomorrow if I live through the tramatic goings on of today! (lol) Until then  know this  . . . 

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And I do too!