Evening star., 1933-04-01
|NAM|NG OF APRIL
HIDDEN IN MYSTERY
Origin of Designation Lost
in Psychological Guess
work."

The origin Of the name Of April, the
fourth month of the modern year and
the first month of Spring, Is lost in
mystery. No one knows for certain how
1t came to be so called. There has
been considerable genealogical guess
work" in the circumstances. The word
has been supposed by some writer's to
! come from "aperio," signifying 81
open," as marking the time when the
buds OF trees and flowers begin to open
But, inasmuch as all the other months
are named after divinities or demigods,"
says one standard authority, "and as
the Romans always looked upon April
as being under the peculiar tutelage of
Venus. 1t seems not impossible that
Aprilis was originally Aphrilis, from
Aphrodite, the Greek name for Venus"
Among the Anglo-Saxons the month
was called Ostermonath the Easter
month. Charlemagne in his calendar
denominated 1t the grass month Still
earlier, Nero had ordered it to be known
as Neroneus in his own honor. In the an
cient Albanian calendar, which divided
the year into 10 months of irregular
length, it stood first on the list and had
36 days. Ronulus is supposed to have
made it the second month, with 30
days. In Nuna's 12-month calendar it
was assigned to fourth place, with 30
days. and 1t remained in that position
until Julius Caesars time, when it re-
covered its quota of 80 days, still re-
tanned. In the early Athenian calendar
it corresponded to the latter portion
of Elaphebolion and to the greater part
of Munychion. In the French revolu-
tionary calendar, as adopted by de-
cree of the National Convention, Noven-
Der "a, 1893, it was merged with the
last part of Germinal, or bud month,
and the first part of Floreal, or flower
month.
Month Of Festivals.
April is especially rich in nythologi-
cal and historical connotations. It also
is of particular note as the month of
many Of the major religious festivals
month of the Passion, including among
its occasions of religious distinction
Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter day,
st. Georges day and St. Marks day.
Palm Sunday, in the Roman Catholic
Church, takes its title from the custom
Of blessing palm branches and carrying
them in procession in commemoration
OF Christ's triumphal entry into Jeru-
salem. It is counted the first day of
Holy week. In the Greek Catholic
Church the day has a similar meaning,
but there no longer Is any procession.
Among the reformed con1munionS the
Church of England notes the day, but
the blessing Of the palms and the pro-
cession were abolished at the Reforma-
ton, and there is no mention of Palm
Sunday in the Book OF Common Prayer.
Good Friday, In the Church Of Eng
land and increasingly. in recent years in
other denominations, celebrates the
crucifixion of our Lord. From very early
times it has been kept as day of
fasting and special prayer.
The Greek Church calls the day the
Great and Holy Parasceve or Pasch, the
Latin Church simply the Parasceve. In
America the annual recurrence of the
occasion prompts recollection of the fact
that it was on Good Friday. 1865, that
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by
John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater,
Washington.
Easter day, April 16. commentaries
the apotheosis of the story of the Son
of God in the world-His resurrection
from the dead. The name, however,
of Easter is used only among the Eng
lish and German speaking peoples, and
its origin is pagan.
All FOOLS Day.
The Passover or Feast of Unleavened
y
is the first and one of the most i'm
portant of the festivals in the Jewish.
ecclesiastical calendar. It commemo-
rates the deliverance Of Israel through
the tenth and last plague. when God
destroyed the first-born Of Egypt" as
related in Exodus xii.
April 20 is designated in honor Of
St. George and April Is of st. Mark,
the former the patron of England, re-
nowned as the slayer Of the dragon,
and the latter the evangelist who was
Peters intimate friend and companion.
No list of the festivals of April can
be complete which omits the secular
feast Of unreason known as April Fool
day or All Fools day, an occasion Of
almost universal custom throughout
Christendom" when, at the beginning
of the month, those so minded play
tricks upon their neighbors. Historians
say: 'Of the origin of this custom,
nothing positive is known. All
Fools day is at once far older and far
Younger than the time of Christ"