Every now and then, holidays and special occasions will coincide with each other, and this is especially true in 2018. The planets seem to have aligned so that three popular celebrations between mid-February and the beginning of April are on the same day as three other well-known events. This will not make a difference to everyone but many will benefit from double festivities as we head into the season of Spring. This year February 14 was host to Valentine's Day as well as Ash Wednesday, Passover, and Good Friday are both on March 30, and April Fool's Day falls on the day Christians observe the resurrection of Christ, which is Easter Sunday.

Ash Wednesday ushers in the spring holidays

Fat Tuesday is the observance of the end of Mardi Gras, and the following day is Ash Wednesday which begins the roughly six weeks of the season of Lent. In 2018, as a number of men and women were celebrating February 14 as the day of love, others were thinking about things more spiritual and beginning a 40 day fast that will end on Easter Sunday. In a rather curious alignment, Valentine's Day and the time of year where the resurrection of Christ becomes a focus are simultaneous.

Passover and Resurrection Sunday almost always collide so this is nothing unusual. Easter is determined every year to be the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox which is always March 21st.

The Jewish calendar seems to always line up with the one used by the western world at this particular time of year. Even so, having Passover to begin on Good Friday brings together two of the holiest days in Judaism and Christianity.

April Fool's Day and Easter Sunday

In 2018 in a curious twist of fate, the Sunday of the observance of the resurrection of Christ on April 1 happens to be April fools Day.

This is not a holiday or religious observance but a day of silliness where people play tricks on each other. In past decades school children may tell a friend that his or her shoes were untied, or there was an insect on their shirt. When the unsuspecting individual checked their shoes or shirt the instigator would shout "April fool."

For Easter Sunday to be on the day of hoaxes and pranks is quite interesting because there are those who have believed for over 2,000 years that the resurrection of Christ was an elaborate hoax which was perpetuated by His disciples. Those who believe, however, that He literally rose from the dead stand firm in their faith. As the year progresses we may find there are more special days that collide.
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