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April 4
National Day : Senegal.
Celebration of independence from France in 1960.
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April 7
Chakri Day : Thailand (Observed)
Public holiday commemorating the founding of the Chakri dynasty in the late 18th Century by King Rama I. |
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April 8
- Buddha’s Birth : Buddhist (Mahãyãna)
Celebration of Buddha’s birth by followers of the Mahãyãna Buddhist tradition based on the Japanese Buddhist calendar.
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April 13
- Ramanavami (Birthday of Rama) : Hindu.
Celebration of the birth of Rama, one of the incarnations of the God Vishnu.
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April 13 - 15
New Year : Cambodia and Laos.
Three-day holiday and new year celebration.
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April 14
- Vaisakhi (New Year) : Hindu.
Celebration of the new year of 1930 based on the Hindu calendar.
- Baisakhi (New Year) : Sikh.
Celebration of the Sikh new year of 540 based on the Bikrami calendar; commemorates Guru Gobind Singh’s founding (in 1699 C.E.) of the Khalsa, the ritual of bringing all those who become Sikhs into the community of equals.
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April 18
Independence Day : Zimbabwe.
Celebration of independence from Britain in 1980.
- Mahavir Jayanti (Birthday of Lord Mahavir) : Jain.
Festival commemorating the birthday of Mahavir, the religion’s twenty-fourth guru or tirtankhara, who was born in the 6th Century B.C.E.
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April 20
- Palm Sunday : Eastern Orthodox Christian & Coptic Orthodox Christian.
Celebration by Orthodox churches using the Julian calendar.
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April 20 - 27
- Pesach (Passover) : Jewish.
Eight-day holiday celebrating the Israelites liberation from slavery in Egypt, circa 1300 B.C.E. The first two and the last two days of Passover are usually considered the most important days of the period.
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April 21 - May 2
- Ridvan : Baha’i.
Commemorates the declaration by Baha’u’llah in 1863 C.E. of his mission as the last messenger of God to the world. During this festival, Baha’is refrain from work on the first, ninth, and twelfth days (April 21, April 29, May 2).
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April 25 - Holy Friday : Eastern Orthodox Christian & Coptic Orthodox Christian.
Commemoration by Orthodox Christians of the crucifixion of Jesus.
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April 27
- Easter (Pascha): Eastern Orthodox Christian & Coptic Orthodox Christian.
Celebration of Easter by Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar.
Freedom Day : South Africa.
Commemorates the day in 1994 when voting rights were finally extended to all South Africans.
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April 28
Freedom Day : South Africa (Observed).
Commemorates the day in 1994 when voting rights were finally extended to all South Africans. Usually celebrated April 27th.
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