Who’s Ready for Springtime?-by Fatima, GiGi’s NYC Participant

Happy Spring to everyone at GiGi’s Playhouse NYC!

Spring is already here so we can enjoy fun things like playing sports and outdoor games and going to the park for walks, barbecues, and picnics. A lot of people also enjoy going out for dinner in the evening. 

There are some holidays that are celebrated in April. For example, April Fools’ Day, Palm Sunday, National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, Passover, Easter, Orthodox Easter, Tax Day, and Earth Day.

April Fools’ Day is celebrated on Saturday, April 1st, and a lot of people do different things to celebrate this occasion including telling jokes, pulling pranks on others to make them laugh, and being funny. 

Palm Sunday is celebrated on Sunday, April 2nd this year, and a lot of people get palms that have been blessed at church that day and give them out to a lot of important people in their lives. Also, this is a day that a lot of religious people pray.

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day is celebrated on Sunday, April 2nd, the same day as Palm Sunday this year. A lot of people make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to eat in order to celebrate the occasion. People can also buy this from the store.

Passover begins on Wednesday, April 5th, and ends on Thursday, April 13th. A lot of people celebrate it in different ways including enjoying a traditional Passover meal known as a Seder, eating matzo for bread, and retelling the exodus story. 

Easter is celebrated on Sunday, April 9th this year, and a lot of people celebrate the occasion by going to church as a family, spending time outdoors, coloring Easter eggs, giving out baskets with gifts in it for others, making cards for loved ones in your life, and going out for a late dinner with family. 

Orthodox Easter is celebrated on Sunday, April 16th this year, and a lot of people do different things to celebrate the occasion on that day. For example, people like to paint eggs, go to church, and enjoy food traditions such as lamb. My boyfriend Peter and his family celebrate Orthodox Easter since they are Greek.

Tax Day is on Tuesday, April 18th. Paying taxes is an important cornerstone of our economy and allows our city, state, and country to provide services for us.

Earth Day is celebrated on Saturday, April 22nd this year, and a lot of people celebrate the occasion by protecting the planet from pollution and deforestation by taking part in some activities like picking up litter and planting trees for a happier and a healthier place to live. 

I am looking forward to spending the springtime enjoying the outdoors since the sun is out. I enjoy doing a lot of fun things with others. For example, I like going to the park for a walk, playing hopscotch, going on the swings, making homemade sushi, having barbecues, and going to places outdoors. I also like to watch birds and planes fly in the sky with my boyfriend. 

Before I go, I want to share a restaurant review of a local place to eat. My family and I have been going to Palermo’s Pizzeria in Queens for a lot of years since it’s one of my favorite Italian restaurants. My boyfriend and his family also love this restaurant since Palermo’s has amazing service, and it’s a great place to celebrate special occasions. Some of my favorite Italian dishes to order there are spaghetti and meatballs, linguine fra diavolo, grilled octopus, fried calamari, baked clams, fried zucchini chips, meatballs, and also pepperoni pizza. Please try this place to eat in Queens. It’s located right next to Astoria Park.

Until May, enjoy the spring break!

Love always,

Fatima