Shoutout to Planet Earth
April is a lovely month, one of varying weather and the emergence of spring!
These two holidays are often conflated or confused with the other, so you may be wondering what the difference even is. Both holidays have a rich history worth exploring.
April 22nd is Earth Day, a holiday made to bring awareness to environmental protection and revitalization. It first popped up in response to the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill. It was first celebrated in 1970 and has been gaining traction ever since, with many countries jumping on board.
Arbor Day is actually a much, much older tradition. The first Arbor day was celebrated in the Spanish town of Mondoñedo in 1805. It was brought over to America in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton and made an official national holiday by Roosevelt in 1906. This holiday is all about planting trees specifically. The day varies every year, being the last Friday in April. Other countries have different days for the holiday to best suit their growing season and local tree population. Countless numbers of trees have been planted in the spirit of the holiday, with an estimated million trees being planted in American on the first Arbor day in 1872 alone.
These days, Earth Day has definitely overshadowed its older holiday cousin, but both are important events to take note of, especially in regard to new scientific research and the continued lack of action on a large scale. Think globally, act locally!
To celebrate Earth Day, we’re painting an out-of-this-world vista titled, simply, “Earth”. Show the planet some love with us, or maybe just get out into the community and help clean up and rejuvenate the beautiful environment Spokane boasts! :)