April: The History of the Name of the Month

Again the blackbirds sing; the streams
Wake, laughing, from their winter dreams,
And tremble in the April showers
The tassels of the maple flowers.
~John Greenleaf Whittier, The Singer, stanza 20

Where does the name "April" come from?

The Romans named the fourth month "Aprilles", which is Latin for "to open." The month of April was sacred to the goddess Venus, who was the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
By Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany - The Forum of Caesar (built near the Forum Romanum in Rome in 46 BC) and the Temple of Venus Genetrix, Imperial Forums, Rome, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45895528

The Anglo-Saxons called it "eastre-monap." "Eastre" is the root of the word "Easter." April was celebrated as the month of the goddess Eostre.
By Eduard Ade - Felix Dahn, Therese Dahn, Therese (von Droste-Hülshoff) Dahn, Frau, Therese von Droste-Hülshoff Dahn (1901). Walhall: Germanische Götter- und Heldensagen. Für Alt und Jung am deutschen Herd. Breitkopf und Härtel., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4643479


In China, the symbolic plowing of the earth by the king and princes took place at the beginning of April.
You can buy this print here.

 In most countries around the world, April is the month when plants begin growing. Many countries have spring festivals during this time.

 April is also a time when young people look for a marriage partner.

Writing Prompt

Now that you know this about the origins of the name for the month of April, write a response explaining why you think that the month is called April and why folks around the globe think of April in the way that they do.








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