2026 Mohawk Valley Almanac
April 1 April Fools’ Day; Passover begins at Sundown
April 2 Pascua Day – Florida
April 3 Good Friday
April 5 Easter
April 12 Orthodox Easter
April 13 Holocaust Remembrance Day begins at Sundown; Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday
April 15 Pan American Day
April 18 Good Friday
April 20 Easter Sunday; Orthodox Easter
April 21 San Jacinto Day – Texas; Patriot’s Day (Maine and Massachusetts)
April 22 Earth Day
April 25 National Arbor Day
Christianity’s main holiday of Easter is in April this year, and shares the time with the Jewish Passover, which is not always the case due to differences in setting the date of these religious holidays related to the full Worm Moon and the equinox of March 20. Many celebrate Easter in a secular manner with the Easter Bunny leaving baskets of chocolates and other candies, and Easter Egg hunts, sometimes church related and sometimes secular.
For many, Easter is a celebratory family
holiday, exceeded perhaps only by Thanksgiving and Christmas, with many different types of foods depending upon ethnic background. A major Sunday meal is often a large gathering, with ham and lasagna likely the most popular dishes in this area. There are no state or federal holidays in April. There are, however, a few social holidays of interest, including Arbor Day, Earth Day, and on the first of the month, a day for jokers, April Fool’s Day.
Arbor Day, and a time for planting trees occurs in the spring, the formal Arbor Day date being variable in the states. Nationally, Earth Day on April 22 is a day to focus on environmental issues. These traditionally have included focus on air, water, and land pollution. In recent years there has also been a stronger focus on plastics and global warming / rapid climate change.
Many communities hold clean ups in the cities, villages, and parks. There are also special tree planting activities. On Earth Day itself, or weekends either side, many schools or environmental groups hold lectures, seminars, clean ups, and other educational activities related to the environment and the spring planting season.
The Trump Administration has basically cut to the bone the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) begun under the Nixon Administration in the early 1970s. Cutting back numerous regulations on air and water pollution, and calling climate change a hoax are all steps in the wrong direction. It is scientifically verified, and obvious to all but the most casual observers that increasing devastation on scales almost unimaginable are beginning to be a frequent issue in many areas of the world. Hopefully, Earth Day will continue to be a major day of action, education, and focusing on these issues.
April Flowers Bring May Flowers
April is the time for gardeners to plan for the season. Perennial flowers come out in sequence, with snow drops, crocuses, the hyacinths, daffodils and tulips through much of the month. For vegetables, spinach, kale, lettuce, beets, radishes and carrots can be started. As well, April is month to prepare for planting of frost sensitive vegetables and flowers later in mid- to late May.
Warmer weather and longer daylight hours are welcome. Outdoor activities extend later into the evening. though occasionally there is a trace or few inches of snow which quickly melts. Frost may occur a few times a month, but generally not colder than 20°F.
Those planning to run in July’s Boilermaker 15 K Road Race begin their training. This includes new runners through the WKTV Go the Distance program. Bicycles are brought out from winter storage, and more folks hit the golf courses and tennis courts. Those who like to hike can get out easier in parks and on trails. However, many trails in the North Country might be temporarily closed due to April’s mud season.
While the St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins the end of winter hibernation for many, this certainly accelerates during the month of April which has its share of warmer sunny days before the heat of summer only a few weeks later.
In the Night Skies. (Done for Astronomy). Not yet done above
On the 15th and 16th very low on the eastern horizon just before sunrise is a cluster of the planets Mercury, Mars and Saturn all of which rise just after 5:30 A.M., difficult to see even with binoculars. Through much of the month, Venus is low on the western horizon just past sunset, with Jupiter above it. On the 18th, the crescent Moon is to the right of Venus, and the waxing crescent Moon is above Jupiter on the 22nd. On the 25th the Moon approaches a conjunction with Regulus, the bright blue star of Constellation Leo, and on the 29th, Virgo’s bright blue star Spica is to the Moon’s left.
Rising and Setting times of Sun, Moon and Visible Planets, April 21, 2026
Sunrise 6:08 A.M. Sunset 7:50 P.M.
Moonrise Waxing Crescent Moon Rises 8:51 A.M., SE Sets: 12:21 A.M., NW
Mercury Rises 5:33 A.M., E
Venus Not visible rising 7:17 A.M.
Mars Rises 5:24 A.M., E
Jupiter Sets 1:56 A.M., P.M., NW
Saturn Rises 5:28 A.M., E
Phases of the Moon for April 2026
April 1 Full Pink Moon Rises: 7:21 P.M., E Sets: 6:19 A.M., W
April 10 Last Quarter Rises: 3:08 A.M., SE Sets: 12:00 P.M., W
April 17 New Moon Rises 5:58 A.M., E Sets: 8:30 P.M., NW
April 30 First Quarter Rises: 11:18 A.M., NE Sets: 2:18 A.M. ,NW
