March
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March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. See:-Months in various calendars
March begins (astrologically, non-sidereal) with the sun in the sign of Pisces and ends in the sign of Aries. Astronomically speaking, the sun begins in the constellation of Aquarius and ends in the constellation of Pisces.
In ancient Rome, March was called Martius, so named after the Roman god of war and was considered a lucky time to begin a war.The Romans wanted to honor Martius, so they named the month after him.
March was originally the first month of the Roman calendar because the winter months of January and February were unsuited for warfare. Julius Caesar's calendar reform in 45 BCE began the year on January 1. The tradition of starting the year in March continued in some countries for a long time. January 1 was only instituted as New Year's Day in France in 1564. Great Britain and her colonies continued to use March 25 until 1752, the same year they finally adopted the Gregorian calendar.
In ancient Hellenic civilization, March was called Anthesterion. In old Japanese calendar, the month is called Yayoi (弥生). In Finnish, the month is called maaliskuu, which is originating from maallinen kuu meaning earthy month. This is because in maaliskuu earth started to show from under the snow. Historical names for March include the Saxon term Lenctmonat, named for the equinox and eventual lengthening of days and the eventual namesake of Lent. The Saxons also called March Rhed-monat (for their goddess Rhedam); ancient Britons called it hyld-monath (meaning loud or stormy).
Events in March
- Mardi Gras (Sometime between February 3 to March 9 in non-leap years or February 4 to March 9 in leap years)
- National Wag Day (March 7) (Australia)
- Ash Wednesday (Sometime between February 4 to March 10)
- Saint David's Day (March 1)
- Saint Patrick's Day (March 17)
- Saint Joseph's Day (March 19)
- The equinox named the vernal or spring equinox in the northern hemisphere and the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere occurs on dates varying from 19 March to 21 March (in UTC).
- Norouz: New Year's Day in Iran and several other countries. A holiday in Turkey, Japan, and Central Asian countries as well.
- Good Friday (Sometime between March 20 to April 23)
- Easter (Sometime between March 22 to April 25)
- Irish-American Heritage Month (St. Patrick's Day)
- Best Buddies Month
- Women's History Month
- Optimism Month
- National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
- American Red Cross Month
- National Frozen Foods Month
- National Umbrella Month
- National Athletic Training Month
- Spring begins (March 21)
- The wearing of a Martenitsa in Bulgaria and Mărţişor in Romania (March 1)
- The Thirtieth of March Tragedy (March 30)
- Fire Prevention month (The Philippines)
Trivia
- March begins on the same day of the week as February, excepting leap years, and as November every year.
- There is an adage that March "comes in like a lion, but goes out like a lamb", referring to the weather that some regions experience during the month. This saying is meant to demonstrate the unpredictable weather which often occurs as the seasons change.
- March in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to September in the Southern Hemisphere (and vice versa).
- The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, colloquially known as "March Madness," is a 20-day tournament that begins in March; however, the Championship Game is played in early April.
- March's birthstone is aquamarine for Pisces and diamond for Aries.
- March's flower is the jonquil.
See also
External links
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
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