If you’re wondering what holiday is April 22, you’re probably looking at a calendar and seeing a whole bunch of green icons. Or maybe you’re seeing a mention of a Seder. It’s a busy day. Honestly, for most people, April 22 is synonymous with Earth Day. It’s that one day a year when everyone suddenly remembers to care about plastic straws and carbon footprints. But depending on the year—especially if we’re talking about 2024 or looking ahead to certain lunar cycles—it can also be the start of Passover.
It’s a weird mix of secular activism and ancient tradition.
Most people just think of the tree-planting ceremonies. You know the ones. Local politicians standing in a park with a shiny shovel, taking a photo for the local news before heading back to their SUVs. But there’s a lot more grit to April 22 than just "save the whales" stickers. It’s a day that actually changed how the United States functions as a government, which is something people totally forget.
Earth Day: The Heavyweight of April 22
Earth Day is the big one. It’s celebrated by over a billion people. That’s a staggering number. But it didn’t start as a corporate-sponsored event with organic tote bags.
In 1970, a senator from Wisconsin named Gaylord Nelson had a bit of a breakdown over the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara. He saw how anti-war protests were mobilizing the youth and thought, Why aren't we doing this for the environment? He teamed up with a young activist named Denis Hayes. They chose April 22 specifically because it fell between Spring Break and Final Exams for college students. They wanted the kids. They got them.
Twenty million Americans hit the streets. In 1970, that was 10% of the entire population. Can you imagine 10% of the country agreeing on anything today? It was a massive, chaotic, loud, and messy demand for change.
And it worked. Within the same year, the U.S. government created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It led directly to the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. So, when someone asks what holiday is April 22, the answer is actually "the reason your tap water doesn't (usually) catch on fire."
Is it different in 2026?
Well, yeah. The theme for Earth Day 2026 is focusing on "Our Faith in the Future." There’s a massive push toward sustainable tech and away from the doom-scrolling narrative that has dominated the last decade. It’s less about "the world is ending" and more about "look at this cool battery tech that actually works."
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The Religious Side: Passover (Pesach)
Sometimes the secular and the sacred collide. In 2024, April 22 marked the first night of Passover. Because the Jewish calendar is lunisolar, the dates jump around on the Gregorian calendar like crazy.
Passover is a big deal. It commemorates the Hebrews' liberation from slavery in Egypt. It starts with the Seder, a ritual feast that involves a lot of symbolic foods, storytelling, and, let’s be honest, way too much horseradish for the uninitiated.
If you're wondering what holiday is April 22 because you saw a neighbor buying ten boxes of matzo, that’s your answer. It’s a week-long observance. For those practicing, it’s not just a "holiday"; it’s a full lifestyle shift for seven or eight days. No bread. No pasta. No leavened anything. It’s a test of willpower and a deep dive into historical memory.
Other Random (But Real) Stuff on April 22
If you don't care about the environment or religious history, maybe you’re into Oklahoma?
April 22 is Oklahoma Day. Back in 1889, this was the day of the Oklahoma Land Run. At high noon, thousands of people literally sprinted into the Unassigned Lands to claim property. It was basically a high-stakes version of musical chairs, but with wagons and horses and 160-acre plots of land.
- National Jelly Bean Day: Seriously. It’s also the day we celebrate sugar-coated gelatin.
- Girl Scout Leader’s Day: Because someone has to organize the cookie sales and the camping trips without losing their mind.
- International Mother Earth Day: That’s just the UN’s fancy way of saying Earth Day.
Why April 22 Still Matters in a Digital World
We live in a world where every day is "National Something Day." Tomorrow might be National Tater Tot Day for all I know. But April 22 has staying power because it’s tied to tangible policy.
Think about the Paris Agreement. It was opened for signature on April 22, 2016. That wasn't an accident. They chose the date because of the Earth Day branding. It’s a day when world leaders feel the pressure to look like they care about the planet's longevity.
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Actually, if you look at the data from the Earth Day Network, the focus has shifted from just "picking up litter" to "climate literacy." They’re trying to get environmental education into schools worldwide. It’s an ambitious goal. Kinda makes the jelly bean holiday look a bit lazy, doesn't it?
The "New" Earth Day
In recent years, the holiday has faced some criticism. Some activists call it "Greenwashing Day." They argue that corporations use April 22 to announce "sustainable" initiatives that don't actually do much. It’s a fair point. If a company burns millions of gallons of jet fuel but changes its office lightbulbs to LEDs on April 22, is that a win? Probably not.
But for the average person, it’s a reminder. A nudge. A reason to look at the trash can and the recycling bin and maybe, just maybe, remember which is which.
How to Actually "Celebrate" April 22
Don't just post a picture of a leaf on Instagram. That's boring. Everyone does that.
If you want to respect the spirit of what holiday is April 22, you've got to do something that actually leaves a mark. Or, well, erases a mark.
1. Audit your own waste.
Check your kitchen. See how much single-use plastic you're actually tossing. You don't have to become a zero-waste monk overnight, but switching to a reusable water bottle is the easiest win in history.
2. Support local agriculture.
Earth Day is a great excuse to find a farmer's market. Eating food that didn't travel 3,000 miles in a refrigerated truck is a legitimate environmental act. Plus, the tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes, not red water.
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3. Learn the history of the Land Run (if you’re in the Midwest).
It’s a complicated history. The land wasn't exactly "unassigned"—it belonged to Indigenous tribes before the government opened it up. Understanding that nuance makes the day more than just a historical footnote.
4. Respect the Seder.
If you’re invited to a Passover Seder on or around this date, go. Even if you aren't Jewish. The storytelling and the focus on justice and freedom are themes that resonate way beyond any specific religion. Just don't bring a loaf of sourdough as a host gift. Trust me.
The Cultural Impact of April 22
When we ask what holiday is April 22, we’re looking for a label. But the label is less important than the shift in consciousness that happened in 1970. Before that, you could literally see the smog in major cities. Rivers were thick with chemicals. There was no legal framework to stop a factory from dumping sludge into a stream.
April 22 is essentially the birthday of modern environmentalism.
It’s also a day of weird coincidences. Did you know April 22 is also Vladimir Lenin’s birthday? In the heat of the Cold War, some people actually tried to claim Earth Day was a communist plot because of that. It wasn't, obviously. Senator Nelson just wanted the college kids to show up.
Actionable Steps for This April 22
You don't need a parade to make the day count.
- Delete your digital clutter. Did you know that storing thousands of unread emails in the cloud actually has a carbon footprint? Servers require massive amounts of energy. Clean out your inbox. It’s the most "2026" way to celebrate Earth Day.
- Plant something native. Don't just buy a random flower from a big-box store. Find out what plants actually belong in your zip code. Native plants support local pollinators like bees and butterflies, which are currently struggling.
- Check the lunar calendar. If you're planning an event, always check if it's a Passover year. It helps with scheduling and ensures you're being inclusive of friends who might be tied up with family traditions.
- Advocate for policy. Individual change is great, but systemic change is better. Write a quick email to your local representative about a local environmental issue—maybe it's bike lanes, or better public transit, or protecting a local park.
April 22 is a day that asks us to look at our relationship with the world around us. Whether that’s through the lens of a religious story about freedom or a scientific reality about our atmosphere, it’s a day for looking up and looking out. It's about realizing that we aren't just individuals; we're part of a much bigger, much older, and much more fragile system.
So, when the date rolls around, take a second. Breathe the air. Hopefully, it’s a little cleaner than it was in 1969. That’s the real legacy of the day.