Feasts And Festivals - Kids

Easter is the most important Christian holiday of the year. It celebrates the Resurrection, or the return to life, of Jesus Christ.

April Fool's Day is celebrated on April 1. In many countries, people play tricks on one another. A favorite joke is to send someone on a fool's errand, a search for something that does not exist. In the United States, the person who is tricked is called an April Fool.

Saint Patrick brought the Christian religion to Ireland more than 1,500 years ago. He used shamrocks to teach people about God. People in Ireland go to church and wear shamrocks on St. Patrick's Day.

Islamabad, Pakistan, does not hold a famous carnival before the Christian season of Lent. Most of Pakistan's people are Muslims, not Christians.

People celebrate May Day on May 1. In many countries, May Day is celebrated to mark the beginning of spring, a return to life after winter.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory of the Mexican army over a French army at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The battle took place after Emperor Napoleon III of France sent troops to take over Mexico.

Holi is a spring festival connected with the god Vishnu. It also is connected with springtime and the grain harvest. It takes place in February or March. People relax social rules and behave playfully.

Passover celebrates the freedom of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt about 3,200 years ago. It begins in March or April and lasts for about a week.

Mardi Gras means fat Tuesday in French. Mardi Gras takes place on the Tuesday before Lent, during the Easter season. It has roots in an ancient Roman custom of merrymaking before a period of fasting.

St. Joan of Arc's feast day is May 30, the date of her death in 1431.