Passover begins at sundown on this day. Passover, or Pesach, is an annual weeklong festival commemorating the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt and slavery. The holiday, which begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan, derives its name from the passing over of the homes of the Israelite slaves during the tenth plague. Family and friends gather together on the first and second nights of the holiday for the high point of the festival observance, the Seder. During the Seder, which means “order” in Hebrew, the experience of the Exodus is told in story, song, prayer, and the tasting of symbolic foods. Perhaps the most well-known of these foods is the matzoh (flat, crackerlike unleavened bread), which is a reminder of the haste with which the slaves—who had no time to wait for the bread to rise—left Egypt. Read more about Passover here.
This full Moon heralded the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox (one of the first spring flowers). It is also known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon. Historically, Native Americans living in what is now the northern and eastern United States kept track of the seasons by giving a distinctive name to each full Moon. This name was used to refer to the entire month in which the Moon occurred. With some variations, the same Moon names were used throughout the Algonquian tribes from New England to Lake Superior. Learn more about the Full Moon for April.
Question of the Day
I live in New York City and have a three-year-old fig tree. It bore fruit for the first time this year, but it failed to ripen. Why? What is a good fertilizer?
A good garden fertilizer, such as 5-10-5, used at the rate of one pound per 50 square feet, will probably supply sufficient nutrients. However, in northern states, fig trees need heavy protection during the winter and usually bear little fruit. Check with your local fruit growers or your local extension service to see if your cultivar has a good track record in your area.
Advice of the Day
Buy next year’s wood for the stove now and season it yourself.
Home Hint of the Day
Planning to use steel wool on a project where rusting is a concern? Choose bronze wool (available at marine supply stores) instead . It doesn’t rust, so you don’t have to worry about the small slivers that invariably stick to the surface you’re working on.
Word of the Day
Apogee
The point in the Moon’s orbit that is farthest from Earth.
Puzzle of the Day
What is the hardest part about skydiving?
The ground.
Born
John George Lambdon(governor-general of British North America)–
Beverly Cleary(author)–
Dr. Peter Safar(originator of CPR)–
Montserrat Caballe(opera singer)–
Herbie Hancock(musician)–
David Letterman(talk show host)–
Tom Clancy(author)–
David Cassidy(singer and actor)–
Andy García(actor)–
Vince Gill(musician)–
Shannen Doherty(actress)–
Jennifer Morrison(actress)–
Claire Danes(actress)–
Stubbs the Cat(honorary mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska)–
Died
Clara Barton(founder of the American Red Cross)–
Franklin D. Roosevelt(32nd U.S. president)–
Sugar Ray Robinson(boxer)–
Abbie Hoffman(social and political activist)–
Georgia Engel(actress, best known as Georgette Franklin on The Mary Tyler Moore Show)–
Events
Charles A. Gayler received a patent for a fireproof safe –
Charles Gayler received a patent for a fireproof iron chest
–
First U.S. championship billiards game –
The US Civil War began –
Women granted the right to vote in Ontario –
Nova Scotia’s Moose River gold mine collapsed, trapping 3 people –
Bill Haley and His Comets recorded Rock Around the Clock –
The polio vaccine developed by Dr. Salk was found to be successful after subjection to a year of clinical trials –
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In by the 5th Dimension topped the charts for 6 weeks –
Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope across Canada in St. John’s, Newfoundland, by dipping his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean –
Space shuttle Columbia first launched –
Harold Washington was elected the first African-American mayor of Chicago –
Texaco Inc. became the largest U.S. company in history to file bankruptcy after it is ordered to pay Pennzoil $8.53 billion in damages for unfair business practices –
Golfer Fred Couples won the Masters tournament –
Weather
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was hit by a tornado; 150 houses lost their roofs –
Fourteen inches of snow at Bloomfield, Vermont –
231-mph wind gust on Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, second highest wind speed in the world –
