By Natalie Osorio
Spring is one of the most beautiful seasons known to mankind. Whether it’s the sound of the birds chirping, the sight of sweet flowers blooming gracefully, or the increasing lengths of daylight, spring brings beautiful treasures with it every year. In addition, this season brings exciting holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day, Passover, Easter, and Cinco de Mayo. St. Patrick’s Day is always the marker of Springtime. This holiday observes the death of St. Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. This holiday is full of Irish food such as buttery soda bread and lightly spiced apple cake, parades, music, dancing, and a massive amount of green!! Although we know it through modern traditions, this holiday has an incredible history behind it. In the 1760’s, New York City Irishmen organized their own St. Patrick's Day parade. During the 1800s, the Irish Catholic immigrants were discriminated against from the Protestant majority in the United States. As a result, the St. Patrick’s Day parade became an opportunity for unity and strength. Today, cities around the United States contain these traditions of St. Patrick’s day parades, and several ethnic identities are involved. In Ireland, where the day has been a religious feast since the 17th century, it wasn’t until the 20th century that the government began sponsoring a large-scale international festival and parade in the capital city. Passover is another beautiful holiday with an incredible significance. This year, Passover begins at nightfall on April 5 and ends on April 13. This holiday is centered around the biblical story of the Jewish people being freed from slavery in Egypt, mentioned in the book of Exodus. The holiday is celebrated for eight days and includes themes of springtime, the Jewish homeland, family, remembrance of Hebrew history, and freedom. Every family has its own special rituals, which could reflect long-lasting traditions or the denomination of Judaism. It is also the strictest Jewish holiday when it relates to food. Throughout the eight days, Jews avoid consumption of food made from leavened grain. This includes avoiding beer, pasta, oatmeal, and most other alcoholic beverages. Easter is another holiday full of bright colors, egg hunts, and family gatherings. This holiday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his death. Every year the day is different, however, the traditions leading up to it are the same. The Sunday before Easter is Palm Sunday, which represents the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem. This is the start of Holy Week. Afterwards, on Thursday and Friday, Catholics celebrate Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Holy Thursday includes a memorable mass in honor of the last supper, and Good Friday includes a day of mourning for the death of Jesus. Two days later however, the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated on a very happy Easter!! Cinco de Mayo celebrates the day of the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla. This day is also known as the Battle of Puebla Day. The story begins in 1861 when Benito Juarez, a lawyer and member of the indigenous Zapotec tribe became the president of Mexico. The country was financially ruined after years of strife, and the president was forced to focus on debt payments to European governments. After demanding repayment, Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico to withdraw their forces. Napoleon then used this as an opportunity to make an empire out of Mexican territory. The rest is history. Mexicans celebrate this holiday with parades, mariachi music, consumes, and countless fireworks. Overall, Spring of 2023 is coming with thrilling holidays, beautiful sunsets, and countless smiling faces. We can’t wait to see all the amazing events that the Spring is coming
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