As far as months go, April tends to start off in a weird way. April Fool’s Day kicks things off on a level of distrust as friends, family, and even the media actively try to deceive in the name of good fun. While some religious holidays also land in this time, the month is actually packed with all kinds of weird and specific non-religious events. For the secular, April can be a time to appreciate everything from beans to grass. If you’re curious to learn more, check out some of these bizarre holidays observed in April.
Lima Beans Are Beans, Too!
At first, you might not think beans need a day of special attention. Still, statistics show that beans in various forms are some of the most-consumed food products across the planet. While having a day dedicated to beans as a whole might seem like a stretch, some people decided specificity was required. Though the exact origins are murky, April 20th has been officially considered Lima Bean Respect Day for at least a few years now. The “holiday” appears on many calendars and online resources, and it even has the hashtag #LimaBeanRespectDay.
People might not be aware of Lima Bean Respect Day due to how many other unofficial holidays are observed on this date. Though no one is celebrating this fact, many people like to point out that April 20th was the birth date of infamous mass-murderer Adolf Hitler. The date has also been notoriously popular for generations amongst college students looking to host events for the legalization of marijuana. With so many conflicting and specific events happening on the same day, you might not know if observing Lima Bean Respect day will amount to more than a hill of beans.
Reading Is Rad
Literacy is incredibly important. While people might not be reading books the way they used to, data shows more people are engaged in the action of reading more than ever before thanks to smartphone technology and the growing presence of the internet. As any avid reader knows, what you read is as important as reading. In order to promote international literacy initiatives and honor the many fantastic and prolific authors of the world, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation declared April 23rd World Book Day.
Now, promoting literacy is amazing and definitely not weird by any standards. Of course, what is weird is how this particular date was chosen by UNESCO. Trivia buffs might already know this, but April 23rd is the accepted date of death for a number of famous authors, including William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Vladimir Nabokov. Teaching children about reading is wonderful; introducing reading to them on the day many authors died might be a little bit too macabre for some.
Arbor Day
Arbor Day is another oddball of a holiday. This event is on the radar of most people with regard to its existence, but few people actually observe the date in any significant way. This holiday sometimes falls in April and is all about trees. This makes it easy to observe if you so desire. Without trees, the planet won’t have enough oxygen to sustain growing populations of humans. Make a difference by planting a tree or five in your community. Future generations will appreciate the effort when they observe these same trees grown to adulthood.
Whether you’re trying to avoid getting pranked at the start of the month or you’re planting trees at the end of it, April can be a weird time. The next time you’re looking to add a bit of excitement to the start of the spring, be sure to mark your calendars for all of the weird and fascinating holidays that take place during this time of the year.