"April showers bring May flowers"
April, traditionally a rainy period, gives way to May, when flowers will bloom because of the water provided to them by the April rains. By extension, that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness.
April here in southern Spain is the start of Spring, a little earlier than in Britain, and plants and trees are starting to push out shoots and buds. It's a good time to start planting.
April is also a busy month for us socially, especially this year, 2025.
April 1st
April Fools' Day in the UK, USA and other English-speaking countries.
Please see here for more about the significance of this date in English-speaking culture:
April Fool! - Eye on Spain
April Fools' Day - Wikipedia
[Image courtesy of Freepik]
April 5th
The end of the Tax Year in the UK, the only country I know where the Tax Year is not from January 1st to December 31st.
Why do the British have to be different?
Miles instead of kilometres; Fahrenheit instead of Celsius; pints instead of litres; drive on the left with a right-hand drive car; and so it goes on.
[Image courtesy of Bestinvest]
April 6th
My brother's birthday. Simon will be 72.
I hope to see him later in April, when I visit the UK for Father's Day to see my two kids and four grandkids.
Simon lives near Bristol with his second wife Marilyn (Simon was widowed in 2001). Simon volunteers for the Blood Bike Service, a charity which delivers hospital notes, x-rays and body parts for transplants.
Brother Simon on his bloodbike [Photo: BBB]
April 13th - 20th
This is Semana Santa (Holy Week) in 2025. April 13th is Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus Christ's triumphant ride into Jerusalem on a donkey.
The first procession takes place on this day. I chanced upon the beginning, as two cofradias started their parade, one accompanying the Virgin Mary and the other Jesus Christ.
The weather for the rest of the week was forecast to be wet, so some desfiles will have been cancelled.
April 16th - 23rd
On Wednesday April 16th we fly to Marseille (France) for a week's holiday near Avignon with Rita's daughter and family.
Le Pont d'Avignon [Photo: Wikipedia]
This day is also my son Tom's 38th birthday.
Katrin and Gero and their three children Anton (19), Madita (16) and Lotte (14) are driving from the Heilbronn area of southern Germany with their VW Transporter and their caravan, and we shall be joining them on the campsite. But, not under canvas - we have booked a "house" with its own facilities on the same campsite which overlooks the river.
This will be my first ever visit to this part of France and I can't wait to dance on the bridge at Avignon ("Sur le pont d'Avignon, on y dan-se, on y dan-se .....").
[Video courtesy of YouTube]
April 23rd
St George's Day in England.
In my experience the least celebrated of the four British Isles patron saints, the other three being St David (Wales - March 1st), St Patrick (Ireland - March 17th) and St Andrew (Scotland - November 30th).
We shall not be celebrating St George's Day either. On an English airline they may have mentioned it, but we are flying Ryanair, the Irish low-cost carrier, so I doubt it will come up.
[Image courtesy of Britannica]
Last Word
I'm not aware of anything else due to happen in the month of April. But I reckon that's enough to be going on with, don't you?
Links:
© Only Joe King
Photos and Images:
Alami, Bestinvest, Bristol Blood Bike, Britannica, Freepik, Paul Whitelock, Ryanair, Wikipedia, YouTube
