Unforeseen circumstances prevented me from writing and blogging last week. Better late than never, this week I continue my series of posts about the months of the year.
In the original Roman calendar, March was the first month of the year. Its name comes from the Roman god of war—Mars. March is the month in which the spring (or vernal) equinox occurs.
December days were brief and chill. The winds of March were wild and drear. And, nearing and receding still, Spring never would, we thought, be here. ~ Arthur Hugh Clough (1819-1681)
A few facts about March:
- Except on leap years, March begins the same day of the week as February. It is one of seven months with 31 days.
- The March birthstone is the aquamarine or the bloodstone. Both stand for courage.
- The flower is the daffodil
- Among the celebrations in March are American Red Cross month, Women’s history month, and Fire prevention month.
- We also celebrate International Women’s Day, Pi Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and, in my home state, Texas Independence Day.
- March also seems to be a month when we love to recognize foods—there are days for popcorn, peanut butter, potato chips, waffles, and frozen foods.
- There is also a “if pets had thumbs” day, but I’m not even going to venture a guess!
- Coca-cola was first introduced on March 29, 1886.
- Native Americans referred to the March full moon as the Worm Moon because temperatures begin to warm and earthworm casts appear which heralds the arrival of Robins. Northern tribes also referred to this moon as the Full Crow Moon. Early Anglo settlers called the March full moon the Lenten Moon and was considered to be the last full moon of winter.
- Famous people born in March include actors Daniel Craig and Bruce Willis, singers Elton John and Jon Bon Jovi, NFL players Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger, as well as Albert Einstein and Dr. Seuss.
- Five states joined the union in the month of March—Vermont in 1791, Ohio in 1803, Maine in 1820, Florida in 1845, and Nebraska in 1867.
Winter sometimes plays a nasty trick on us, such a one year when a light snow dusted my blooming daffodils.
March is a bittersweet month for me. My two nieces and I celebrate our birthdays this month. It is also a time of sadness, for my Dad passed away on March 30, 1979. Yet March is a time for lengthening days and warmer weather—a time to hear the first spring peepers and see the budding signs of spring.
Have a favorite month? A special memory about March? Please share in the comments.
14 Responses
Ah, those bittersweet months are hard. Of course we remember our loved ones (and my sympathies to you), but try to spend more time on the fun celebrations.
In addition to everything you listed (and thanks for throwing a Steeler in there), my daughter has informed me it’s “Hug a Tennis Player” day today, so she’ll be getting extra hugs from me.
Staci, I do dwell on the good times. My Dad’s death was unexpected, but the night before we had a wonderful time at the dinner table. All of us were together and we laughed and teased one another quite a bit.
I thought you’d enjoy the reference to Ben – I thought of you when I saw his name. Hope you gave your tennis player some great hugs!
I love the interesting facts. Thanks for sharing. For me, March means that I can go outside without a coat because the temperatures are above freezing. And the socks go back into hiding.
Ditto, although the past couple of years winter has lingered until early April. (We always have warm days mixed in, however.)
I enjoyed this post! March 6th is Dentist Appreciation Day! And the first week of March was Dental Assistants Recognition week. Can you tell I manage social media for a dental office? 😉 We don’t hear peepers around here until May (maybe late April if we’re lucky? I can’t remember haha!).
Diana, I completely forgot last week was National Patient Safety Awareness Week. (Can you tell I work in a hospital?) I love hearing those spring peepers!
It’s crazy how there’s a week or a day for everything! What is your job at the hospital, Joan?
I work in quality and patient safety. 🙂
Love and hate the picture of the daffodils. It’s a picture you can look at many ways. Those who love snow say, “Not yet, I want more winter.” And those that are like me say, “See, there is hope the daffodils are starting to come up.” No wonder it is a month of courage. It dares to stand up to winter. Thanks for all the important information.
Anne, I have mixed emotions about the end of winter. Are winters are usually mild and so I enjoy it when we have an occasional snowfall. However, spring means warmer temps and longer daylight hours. The snowfall on the daffodils is rare here (although it happened again this year.) I’ve often thought a good story title is “Daffodils in The Snow,” but I’ve yet to come up with a story to go along. I can imagine you writing a poem about it, however!
Joan October is my favourite as it is mid spring and my birthday too. I prefer autumn and spring to the other two. Where has March gone already? Loved your trivia on March. So different to ours.
I agree Kath. Autumn and spring are my favorite months, especially autumn. Summer is okay (unless we have one of those really hot ones) but I don’t like a long, cold winter.
March is almost gone, and I just made it here! Lovely and interesting post as always! Surprisingly, our March has been one of the best. Even the snow we got a couple of days ago was not bad and looked beautiful.
Oh, those poor daffodils! They inspire resilience in me.
Enjoy the rest of spring my friend!
Katina, I took that photo a few years ago, but the daffodils had snow on them this year also. We had snow and sleet the last week of February and the first week of March. Spring has now sprung, however. The weather is beautiful.