March

March 6–12—National Foreign Language Week

Sponsored by the National Foreign Language Honor Society, Alpha Mu Gamma, this week encourages schools to celebrate the importance of foreign language study.

March 16—First Black Newspaper Published

On this day in 1827, Freedom’s Journal was published in New York City. Subscriptions cost $3 a year. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/blackpress/news_bios/newbios/nwsppr/freedom/freedom.html.

March 21—Bahá’í New Year’s Day (Naw-Rúz)

Beginning on sunset of March 20, this day is one of the nine holy days of the year when work and school are suspended for those of the Bahá’í faith. The new year commences on the day of the spring equinox. For more, go to www.us.bahai.org.

April

April 2—International Children’s Book Day

A day to promote books and reading around the world, this event is celebrated on author Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday. Each year, a section of the International Board on Books for Young People sponsors the day and this year it’s the Slovakian Section. For more, go to www.usbby.org or www.ibby.org.

April 13–20—Passover (Pesach)

This Jewish festival begins at sunset on the 12th and continues until nightfall on the 20th. It commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt  and marks the beginning of the harvest season.

April 16—Easter

Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on this day, which is observed the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox.

Celebrating Life In April

Today, over 90,000 people are waiting for the gift of life, provided through organ, tissue, marrow, or blood donations. Each day, about 74 people receive an organ transplant, but 17 die waiting for transplants that can’t take place because of the shortage of donated organs.

To raise awareness of the critical need for donors, the nation has celebrated April as National Donate Life Month since 2003.

Donor recognition and remembrance ceremonies, races and walkathons, sporting games, fund-raisers, and other events are held around the country to promote donation and thank deceased organ and tissue donors, living organ donors, and donor family members for sharing life.

Creative and caring people are celebrating National Donate Life Month by spreading the word across America  that donation saves lives. Don’t hesitate to join them by becoming an organ donor through these simple ways:

• Go to www.organdonor.gov   to download, print, sign, and carry a donor card
• Say yes to donation on your driver’s license
• Sign up with your state’s donor registry (if your state has one).
• And don’t forget to discuss your decision with your family—they may be asked to give consent.

For more information on National Donate Life Month and how you can help raise awareness and support this life-giving cause, turn your Web browser to www.organdonor.gov.