Karla's Kolumn: Celebrate Easter, April Fool's Day and the start of Hula Week

I’ve heard it said a few times this week that it seems weird that Easter, a sacred Christian holiday, would be the same day as April Fool’s Day. The problem is that April Fool’s Day is always April 1, while Easter does not have a set date except for it always being on a Sunday.

If you read Wednesday’s paper and The Conversation article by Brent Landau then you know the reason for this variation is that Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. So, in 2019, Easter will be celebrated on April 21, and on April 12 in 2020. Which means that next year Easter will fall on National Yellow Bat Day, Kindergarten Day, Bulldogs are Beautiful Day, National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day and National Surprise Drug Test Day (which always follows April 20 — National Pot Smokers Day), all of this according to the website brownielocks.com which has about a thorough of a list as I’ve ever found on the national and international days, weeks and months of the year.

This year, in addition to April Fool’s Day, according to brownielocks, Easter falls on Plum Pudding Day (traditionally on Easter unless plum pudding is eaten at Christmas then it is Christmas Pudding Day), National Fun Day and International Tatting Day, which according to holidayinsights.com is for all the tatters with the skill of making delicate, elegant tatted lace.

Truthfully, in looking at brownielocks.com calendars it is hard to find a day that stands on its own.

But it’s not just special days that are observed tomorrow. Sunday marks the start of several interesting weeks:

•The first of three American Crossword Puzzle Days

•Bat Appreciation Week

•APAWS Pooper Scooper Week

•National Public Health Week

•National Window Safety Week

•World Hula Week

•Golden Rule Week. You remember the golden rule — “He who has the gold makes the rule.” No, just kidding, it is to do unto others as you wish them to do unto you.

•My favorite, Laugh at Work Week, here’s hoping for a great week of laughter.

•And a more serious week, National Blue Ribbon Week. Blue Ribbon Week is to bring awareness about child abuse. According to facesofchildabuse.org, “Blue Ribbon Week is Child Appreciation Week, presenting a unified and positive commitment toward keeping our children safe.”

There are also nearly 100 monthly observances in April — there are animals featured including Ferret Month, Greyhound Month and Frog Month; social issues such as alcohol awareness, following Blue Ribbon Week it is Child Abuse Prevention Month, distracted driving, genocide and human rights, global child nutrition, bereaved spouse and sexual assault.

There are also many medical or health issues highlighted in April —autism, diabetes, emotional overeating, irritable bowl syndrome, testicular cancer, women’s eye health, Parkinson’s and sexually transmitted diseases.

And, of course there are several other random topics observed including math and statistics jazz, guitars, humor, decorating, grilled cheese, garden, kites, lawn care, licorice, pets, poetry, straw hat just to name a few.

So in addition to your Easter celebration tomorrow, now you know there is much more to observe and celebrate this month.

And, if you want to have fun with Easter being on April Fool’s Day then do what a meme on Facebook suggested and tell your children you hid eggs or their Easter baskets, even if you didn’t hide anything.

Have fun and have a Happy Easter.