Equalities and diversity calendar - April 2012
National Autism Awareness Month
National Autism Awareness Month is celebrated annually in April. It is an opportunity for local communities to raise awareness about autism.
1 Palm Sunday - Christian
This is the Sunday before Easter. This day commemorates Christ’s triumphal entrance to Jerusalem.
1 Ramanavami – Hindu
This festival marks birth of Lord Rama. Often celebrated as part of a nine day festival.
5 Maundy Thursday - Christian
Christians remember Maundy Thursday as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist.
6 Good Friday - Christian
Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ following his time in the desert and his triumphal re-entrance into Jerusalem. This is a very important event in many Christian churches and is seen by some as the foundation of the Religion.
6-14 Passover/Pesach - Jewish
The start of the season of Passover when Jews commemorate the liberation of the Children of Israel who were led out of Egypt by Moses. Work is not permitted on the first two and the last two days of Passover.
6 Theravada New Year – Buddhist
New Year festival celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April.
7 World Health Day
This year the WHO public awareness campaign will include a special focus on the HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria epidemics. WHO will call on governments and stakeholders to implement the policies and practices needed to prevent and counter the emergence of highly resistant superbugs, and to also provide appropriate care to those seriously affected by these microbes.
8 Easter Sunday - Christian
Easter is the most important Christian festival. It celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, three days after he was executed on a cross.
9 Easter Monday
Easter Monday is a Christian holiday celebrated the day after Easter Sunday. It is a national holiday in England and many other countries.
13 Holy Friday - Orthodox Christian
13 Vaisakhi - Sikh
The Sikh new year, also celebrates the year (1699) Sikhism was born as a collective faith.
15 Easter/Pascha - Orthodox Christian
Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
16-22 Parkinson's Awareness Week
World Parkinson's Week aims to raise awareness of Parkinson's disease and how it impacts on individuals, families and the wider community.
17 World Haemophilia Day
This day is celebrated by haemophilia organisations around the world and gives them an opportunity to increase awareness of haemophilia.
18 Yom HaSho'ah - Jewish
Holocaust Remembrance Day. This day, was established to remember the Holocaust and the six million Jews who perished, is the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
21 Ridvan Festival begins – Bahái
Commemorating the prophet Baha’u’llah’s proclamation as gods messenger. This is a twelve day festival.
21 Anniversary of Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica - Rastafarian
Haile Selassie's visit took place in 1966.
22 London Marathon
A 26-mile race through London aimed at fitness, fundraising and fun.
23 Saint Georges Day - Christian
Saint George is the patron saint of England. He's popularly identified with England and English ideals of honour, bravery and gallantry.
24-30 Save the Children Week
Fundraising and awareness raising in support of children around the world.
25 World Malaria Day
World Malaria Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the plight of the millions of people living in malarial areas, their lives heavily impacted by disease.
28-29 Ninth Day of Ridvan - Bahái
30 to 6 Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Week
A variety of nationwide fund-raising activities will take place to find a cure for MS. It will also provide an opportunity to help people across the UK understand what it means to have MS and to focus the debate on how to improve MS services.