The Turkmen Racing Horse Festival is annually held on the last Sunday in April. This year, it takes place on April 26. While it is an important holiday, one of national pride, it remains a working Sunday for many in Turkmenistan, with schools and offices remaining open. Before we plunge into the why of this holiday though, a brief geography lesson. Turkmenistan — not to be confused with the separate nation of Turkey — is a country located in the southwest region of Central Asia. Its neighbors are Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan. It also touches the Caspian Sea, along its western border. Horses are an integral part of Turkmenistan’s history and culture, hence there is an entire season dedicated to horse racing. The pride and joy of Turkmenistan is the Akhal-Teke breed of horse, said to be one of the oldest breeds in the world.
Southland Anniversary
Southland Anniversary is a public holiday in New Zealand’s Southland Region and is celebrated every Tuesday after Easter. This year, it takes place on April 7 . The date was chosen to create a five-day weekend while remaining close to the official formation of the Province of Southland on April 1, 1861. The date was chosen since it creates a five-day weekend from the Saturday before Easter through Easter Monday and Tuesday; nevertheless, Southland Anniversary Day has only been honored since 2011. For Southland Anniversary Day, there are fairs, historically and culturally educational events, food stalls, concerts, and a slew of other activities in various towns throughout the area, just as there are in other parts of New Zealand.
Dyngus Day
Dyngus Day is a Polish and Polish-American celebration on Easter Monday to mark the completion of Lent, and this year, it falls on April 6. The happy tradition includes many festivities including parades. Parties begin mid-morning with a buffet of traditional cuisine and last until after daybreak on Tuesday. Previously, on Easter Monday, the males would shower water on the girls and tap them with pussy willows. The females would do the same to the boys on Tuesday. Nowadays, at current Dyngus Day celebrations, both men and women swap water and pussy willow equally — because it is one of the earliest plants to bloom in the spring, the branches of these plants are the day’s greatest prop.