Day Sixteen

We are currently about halfway through Pesach or Passover, the Jewish commemoration of the escape from Egypt and slavery. 
The ancient, traditional sacrifice was a perfect lamb.

Today is Easter Sunday, which Christians celebrate as the escape from after-life condemnation and punishment.  The sacrifice in this case: The Lamb of God aka Jesus.

In neither case will the celebrations be what we are used to.

No family gathering, unless the family  were already in your bubble. 
No Easter Egg hunts by excited children and certainly no congregating in shul or church. 

Our traditions and celebrations are indications of who we are.  We delight in the shared experiences of cultural customs and we come together to share in that joy because we need them.

This year, sadly,  we’ll be denied those gatherings - but that is our sacrifice for the greater good.

April has many more day of commemoration and celebration:

 April 19th-25th is Medical Laboratory Professionals Week.

 All over the world, laboratories are humming as the professionals look for a Corona virus vaccine and trial drugs which will cure the already sick.

19th-25th  is also National Volunteers Week, this year particularly  apt as hundreds of thousands of volunteers have stepped forward to support and help during the C-19 crisis.
Bless your hearts.

April 24th-30th will be World Immunisation Week. According to their web site, the theme this year is Vaccines Work for All,  the campaign focussing on, “the people who develop, deliver and receive them are heroes by working to protect the health of everyone, everywhere.”   Amen to that.

Other dates include: St George’s Day, celebrated in the UK on 23rd, as is Shakespeare Day.

ANZAC Day 25th April.  This is one of the most important days in the New Zealand and Australian calendar - it unites people. 

 In every town, city and community across both our countries, the Dawn Service (or sometimes later) brings out proud  Kiwis and Aussies of all ages. 

Typically there’s a parade of veterans and other personnel who have served and are still serving in war zones. 
Emergency Services take part and are accompanied by Cadets, Scouts, Guides,  Brownies, Pippins and other school children.

We do it to honour the sacrifices they made and are still making,  to keep the world safe.

This year, we too will be sacrificing - and it will be hard - our right to gather and honour. This time in order to keep one another safe.

At the end of the last Seder of Passover, there’s a traditional saying: 'Next year in Jerusalem'.
It speaks of hope and confidence in the future and in this, wherever we are, we can participate.

  The Aztecs were spiritual people and among their pantheon of deities was the goddess Mayahuel who gave birth to 400 rabbits which she fe...