April 2012 - important holidays of the largest religious and ethnic groups

Traditional holidays

23 April: Turkish children's festival

Festival in honour of the children. Established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Christianity

1 April: Palm Sunday

The first day of Holy Week commemorates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Palm branches (which people waved to welcome Jesus to Jerusalem) or willow catkins are sanctified in the church and distributed to serve as decoration at home.

5 April: Holy Thursday/Maundy Thursday

Christians commemorate the anniversary of the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus at the Last Supper and of the washing of the disciples' feet which is symbolically reenacted in many churches as a sign of humbleness.

6 April: Good Friday

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus, when He sacrificed Himself for man's redemption.

7 April: Holy Saturday

A mass without bells or organ music is celebrated on this day of silence.

8 April: Easter Sunday

The most holy of Christian sacred days. The day commemorates the resurrection of Jesus and the victory of life over death. Customs: the Easter Vigil is held in the night of Holy Saturday, the Easter candle is sanctified and lit, Easter fire, Easter bunny or Easter eggs.

9 April: Easter Monday

Easter Monday is the second day of the octave of Easter Week. On this day two disciples travelled from Jerusalem to Emmaus where they met the risen Christ. They only recognised him in the breaking of the bread. Today there is the custom of "the walk to Emmaus" from the parish church to a chapel.

13 April: Orthodox Good Friday

15 April: Orthodox Easter Sunday

There is the custom to run a red egg over the cheek as a sign of luck and welfare.

Hinduism

1 April: Rama Navami

Celebration of the birth of Lord Rama, hero of the religious epic poem The Ramayana. Rama exemplifies the perfect man and is worshiped as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Judaism

7 to 14 April: Pesah/Passover

The feast of unleavened bread is dedicated to the celebration of the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. At the Seder, a unique ceremony, Jews commemorate the "pass over" when God would send the Angel of Death to kill the firstborn males but would see that the Israelites had marked their houses with lambs' blood and would command his angel to "pass over", to kill no one there. (All Jewish holidays begin at sundown on the previous day.)

19 April: Holocaust Remembrance Day

Yom HaShoah has been established to remember the Holocaust and the six million Jews who perished. Remembrance candles are lit and services are held on this day. (All Jewish holidays begin at sundown on the previous day.)

Sikhism and Hinduism

14 April: Vaisakhi

For Sikhs Vaisakhi is the most important feast of the year and is the anniversary of the founding day of the Khalsa. The day remembers the tenth Guru Gobind Singh who founded the Khalsa in 1699. People wear new clothes and give each other presents on Vaisakhi. Nishan Sahib is the name given to the flag outside every temple. It is a triangular piece of saffron coloured cloth with the Khanda emblem in the middle. The flag post also has a Khanda on top and is covered with a new cloth on Vaisakhi.