April 4-11 / Holy Week

Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter. It includes the religious holidays of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) and Good Friday, and lasts from Palm Sunday (or in the Eastern, Lazarus Saturday) until but not including Easter Sunday, as Easter Sunday is the first day of the new season of The Great Fifty Days. It commemorates the last week of the earthly life of Jesus Christ culminating in his crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

April 8 / Stations of the Cross

Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St. Francis of Assisi and extended throughout the Roman Catholic Church in the medieval period. It is less often observed in the Anglican and Lutheran churches. It may be done at any time, but is most commonly done during the Season of Lent, especially on Good Friday and on Friday evenings during Lent.

April 22 / Earth Day

Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It is on April 22. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. The first Earth Day was in 1970. Earth Day is spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

The United Nations celebrates Earth Day each year on the March equinox, which is often March 20. This is a tradition which was founded by peace activist John McConnell in 1969. The United Nations first celebrated Earth Day on the March equinox in 1971. This was also the first time ever that the United Nations celebrated Earth Day. The Earth Day on the March equinox was also in 1970.

Earth Day is similar to World Environment Day.

May 7 / First Communion Mass

First Communion is traditionally an important festive occasion for Roman Catholic families. Also, Holy Communion is the second sacrament of the seven.

Traditions surrounding First Communion usually include large family gatherings and parties to celebrate the event and special clothing is usually worn. The clothing is often white to symbolize purity. Girls often wear fancy dresses and a veil attached to a headdress, as well as either long or short white gloves. In other communities girls commonly wear dresses passed down to them from sisters or mothers, or even simply their school uniforms plus the veiled headdress and gloves.

In many Latin America countries, boys wear military-style dress uniforms with gold braid aiguilettes. In Switzerland and Luxembourg, both boys and girls wear plain white robes with brown wooden crosses around their necks.

In Scotland, boys traditionally wear kilts and other traditional Scottish dress which acompany the kilt.

Gifts of a religious nature are usually given, such as rosaries, prayer books, in addition to religious statues and icons. Gifts of cash are also common.

Many families have formal professional photographs taken in addition to candid snapshots in order to commemorate the event.

© 2010 Good Shepherd Catholic School