Every March 20 marks the start of spring. There are many events that are celebrated for religious purposes such as Passover, Easter and Ramadan. However, there are a few secular holidays too such as Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day.

Passover is a holiday celebrated by Jewish people and their historical liberation from Egyptian slavery. The holiday begins on April 15 and ends on April 21. Passover is celebrated with a meal called the Seder. Participants celebrate with a meal with food that has symbolic meaning.

Easter is both a religious and secular holiday in the United States. It takes place on the Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring equinox in March. Christian people celebrate 40 days before Easter by choosing to fast from an activity in order to remind themselves of their devotion to Jesus and God. For the entire week of Easter, Christians participate in holy week which commemorates the last days Jesus Christ lived on earth. The commercial side mostly includes egg hunts and gift-giving. 

Ramadan is held in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is considered a holy month and includes fasting from dawn to sunset. The time spent fasting is used to strengthen one’s relationship with God and for prayer. Once Ramadan is over, there is a festival which breaks the month-long fast which concludes with a meal and celebration called Eid al-Fitr. 

Cinco de Mayo is a holiday which was once only celebrated in Puebla, Mexico. The original purpose was to celebrate a military victory over France in the 1800s. The holiday was to commemorate resistance to colonialism and foreign domination but it has since become a novelty for Americans to eat Mexican food and wear Mexican traditional clothes. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5, which is the direct translation of “Fifth of May”.

Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of each May. It is now a secular holiday but was originally created by the ancient Greeks and Romans to commemorate goddesses who were mothers. It has since evolved into a holiday for children to honor their mothers. American Mother’s day consists of card-giving and other gifts to commemorate the work that mothers do for their children. 

All of these holidays have culturally enriching traditions for all who participate. It is important to help others feel heard while they are celebrating a time special to them so learning historical context and symbolism can help strengthen your relationship with friends and family. Happy celebrating to all who are participating in holidays this spring!