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April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days.
April begins in Aries and ends in Taurus
In the wheel of the year April ends at or near Samhain in the southern hemisphere and a few days before the midpoint between autumn equinox and winter solstice. In the northern hemisphere it has a corresponding position with respect to Bealtaine, between spring equinox and summer solstice.
History
The name is derived from the Latin aprilis, either from the Latin word aperire which means "to open", probably referring to growing plants in spring, or from the Etruscan name Apru for Aphrodite.
April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar and had 29 days. Julius Caesar's calendar reform in 45 BCE resulted in April having 30 days and becoming the fourth month, as the year now began in January.
April in poetry
Poets identify April with the end of winter, but they don't necessarily agree on what that means:
- We start with the proverb
- April showers bring May flowers
- Whan that April with his showres soote (that is, sweet)
- The droughte of March hath perced to the roote,
- And bathed every veine in swich licour,
- Of which vertu engendred is the flowr; (ll. 1-4)
- Modernized for The Norton Anthology of English Literature
- April is the cruellest month, breeding
- Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
- Memory and desire, stirring
- Dull roots with spring rain.
- To what purpose, April, do you return again?
- Beauty is not enough.
- You can no longer quiet me with the redness
- Of little leaves opening stickily.
- I know what I know.
- The sun is hot on my neck as I observe
- The spikes of the crocus.
- The smell of the earth is good.
- It is apparent that there is no death.
- But what does that signify?
- Not only under ground are the brains of men
- Eaten by maggots.
- Life in itself
- Is nothing,
- An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
- It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
- April
- Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.
Events in April
April and War
April also is noticable for its close connection with warfare. a unusually large number of wars have started or ended in april's, and many military leaders (ex. Hitler) have been born in April. Just a few wars that started\Ended in April are,
American Revolution Started (Paul Reveres Ride: April 18-19 1775)
American Civil War (Started April 1861 Ended April 1865, thus "Across 5 Aprils)
World War One (Americans Enter WWI in April, 1917)
World War Two (Germany Surrenders in April, 1945)
Trivia
- April begins on the same day of week as July in all years and also January in leap years.
See also
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