April's bingo set is now available in the shop. Click here to go to the listing. Here's an explanation of the chosen images:
30 days - Pretty self-explanatory, but it's always a nice reminder which months have which quantity of days.
Aperire - There's some debate about how April got its name, but one popular theory is that it stems from this Latin word meaning "to open," which people naturally associate with buds and flowers. It could also be named after a god, but I went with this since I saw it more often and it has nice imagery.
April Fools’ Day - An inconvenient holiday, but I kind of like that it exists.
April Showers - This symbol/expression had to find its way into the set.
Arbor Day - Plant those trees! This holiday falls on the last Friday of the month.
Baby Animals - So many of these don't need a lot of explanation. I think most of us know that lots of animals give birth in the spring. :D
Boston Marathon - This race lands on the 3rd Monday of April, which means this year it's the earliest possible date of April 15. Did you know it's been going on since 1897?!
Bridal Showers - Since a lot of people marry in the summer, April is a common month to hold bridal showers.
Brunch - And also a common month to have brunch, which seems to be making another comeback lately.
Carrot Cake - Since I like to include some of the popular foods for each month, carrot cake made the list.
Chocolate Bunny - As did chocolate bunnies. Sorry, there's not a lot to say about these obvious ones.
Coachella - The full name is actually Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and it happens over 2 long weekends in April in Indio, CA.
Daisies - One of April's birth flowers.
Diamond - April's birthstone.
Dress - My thought behind this was not only that sundresses get more popular as the weather warms up, but it's also common for people to buy new dresses/outfits for Easter. Growing up, what we wore to church on Easter was always a special thing that we'd plan ahead for. The picture I chose is a baby dress, since it's the perfect time to dress up your little girl for pictures.
Earth Day - April 22 - A day to honor the Earth and demonstrate support for environmental protection. Some places offer free/discounted admission, so take advantage and visit a local garden!
Easter - This year Easter was yesterday, March 31, but I way prefer it when it falls late in April. It seems crazy that it's already over.
Easter Egg Hunt - Just like with other major holidays, even if you don't celebrate it you'll run into several references and events related to it. Egg hunts are one of my favorite holiday traditions. It's awesome that lots of places hold them for the public, but you can also have your own at home, inside or out. I didn't do one this year but I hope to host many more in the future.
Fiddleheads - I just learned that people eat these. I personally just love the darling fern curls that pop up this time of year. Certain kinds of ferns, though, are edible....but many are not, so be careful.
Flowers - They have to have a mention, right?
Flower Truck - I was actually going for more of a market vibe here, but wanted to highlight flowers in particular. Lots of downtown farmers' markets open up in April and getting fresh flowers is one of my favorite purchases there.
Gardening - Even though some of these activities are mentioned in a few different months, I tried to use different art to represent various aspects.
Holy Week - AKA Passion Week, this is one of those overlap occasions that can also occur in April. It is the week leading up to Easter when Christians remember the events right before Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.
Masters Tournament - This golf tournament is held in Augusta, GA each year. It stands out in my mind because I remember my dad explaining the green jacket to me several years ago.
Painting Eggs - Another happy holiday tradition (that I didn't do this year). There are lots of fun ways to dye and decorate eggs, and it doesn't have to create a big mess or even take much time.
Passover - A Jewish holiday to celebrate the Isrealites' escape from Egypt as told in the book of Exodus. This is one of many holidays that changes dates every year, but it seems to almost always be in April.
Pink Moon - April's full moon is called the Pink Moon as a reference to all the pink flowers blooming this time of year. Too bad it's not actually pink!
Ramadan - The 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which Muslims all over the world observe with fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. I thought it only fluctuated between a few months of late winter and early spring, but I just now realized it can be anytime of year and tends to fall about 10 days earlier each year. Whoops! I suppose I will need to change out this picture in March and April soon. I wish I had caught that before. 🤔 If you purchase a March or April set with Ramadan, I will happily send you the new sets once I update them--just ask!
Seasonal Produce - The picture shows a handful of fruits and veggies that are fresh this time of year: fennel, carrots, leek, artichoke, radishes, and peas.
Spring Greenery - This depends on where you live, of course, but it gets SO green here in April and early May. It stands out as a big part of April for me.
Stream - I was singing April Come She Will and that gave me the idea of featuring a stream or creek.
Sweet Peas - One of April's birth flowers.
Tax Day - On or just after April 15th when Americans have to have all of their taxes filed from the previous year. Not the happiest of references, but it's a relief to get them done, at least.
Wine Tasting - Spring and fall are popular times to go wine tasting. I try to include a wide variety of interests and associations that people have. Even though I'm not much on wine, I do like visiting wineries since they're so picturesque.
Wrestlemania - Held sometime between mid-March and mid-April, Wrestlemania is a top WWE event that has had a huge impact on the wrestling world.
Zoo Trip - Again, in the interest of variety, fun pictures, and touching on lots of different interests, I wanted to make a zoo reference. I personally think spring is a great time to go before it gets too hot. Plus, more chance of seeing a new baby animal!
Did I miss anything? Of course! There are so many things that occur each month, but I try to choose a variety of popular events and symbols that make this month special. It’s tough deciding what to feature. While creating them, I'm often limited by the available art (or my ability to create it) as well as the desire for some balance and consistency. I know that some important symbols and events get missed, and of course each person has a different experience, but I hope I have touched on at least a few meaningful aspects of the season for many Americans (and beyond).