TS Eliot famously opens The Waste Land with his assertion that April is the 'cruellest month'.
Within the context of this poem, I understand what Eliot, ironically referencing Chaucer, is trying to say. However,I totally disagree with him: to me, April is a fabulous month that offers much. In case you are not convinced, here are some reasons to love the month of April:
The very word April, is from the Latin, Aperit, which means to open and the Greeks named April Aphros, after the goddess of love, Aphrodite.
The birthstone is a diamond, and, even if the song ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ is antediluvian in its sentiments, it is still the best birthstone: my birthday is in October and Rihanna never sang ‘Shine bright like an opal’, April is National Pet Month, where owners of animal companions throughout the UK will celebrate their life with their pets, advocating responsible pet ownership and raising money for animal charities. Given the current, parlous state of world affairs, anything that offers such unalloyed joy is fine by me.
April is usually the month in which Easter is commemorated. This has always been my favourite religious festival and I have celebrated many of them in Spain, where despite being initially discombobulated by the religious apparel that the nazarenos, the penitents, wear during the Holy Week parades – look them up on YouTube if you have never seen them – I have been profoundly moved by Semana Santa festivals and would highly recommend them.
St George’s Day is the twenty-third of the month and, if you are both patriotic and of literary disposition, it is a day of double celebration as this is the day when we commemorate Shakespeare’s birthdate- and death date, according to popular legend. I am not particularly au fait with the life of St George, apart from the bit about the dragon but, in recent times, I have celebrated Shakespeare’s alleged birthday by reading at least one of his sonnets and boring my long-suffering husband about how I miss teaching Hamlet. Happy Eastertide!
Every day is an Open Day at Durham High School. Call 0191 384 3226 or email enquiries@dhsfg.org.uk to find out more or arrange a visit.