Today is a day I always look forward to — the first day of March. No matter what the weather turns out to be, I just seem to feel better knowing it’s March. I realize it’s not quite spring, but winter is certainly in the rear-view mirror.
March is named for the Roman god of War, Mars. This was the time of year to resume military campaigns that had been interrupted by winter.
Lots of thing happen in March….
The vernal equinox, the return of Daylight Saving Time, St. Patrick’s Day, “March Madness.” Cinco de Marcho, Pi Day, and of course, the Ides of March.
March’s full Moon is called the Worm Moon and reaches peak illumination on the morning of Tuesday, March 7.
I’ve always heard that if March comes in like al lion, it will go out like a lamb — which means that if the month starts off stormy, it will end with mild weather. However, there is another interpretation of the lion/lamb proverb. The constellation Leo, the lion, rises in the east at the beginning of March and thus the month “comes in like a lion,” while Aries, the ram, sets in the west at the end of the month, and hence, the month “will go out like a lamb.”
The vernal, or spring, equinox occurs on March 20 and marks the start of spring (in the Northern Hemisphere.)
The “Ides of March” was a day in the Roman calendar equivalent to March 15th. It was considered a deadline for settling debts. It was also the day Julius Caesar was assassinated.
Every year, March and June finish on the same day of the week.
St Patrick’s Day occurs every March 17th and is celebrated in many western countries to commemorate the day Saint Patrick died.
Statistically, March is the most unproductive Month of the year in the U.S. It’s said that this is the result of “March Madness,” Some companies lose up to $1.9 billion in wages paid to workers who were not productive and instead spent company time betting on the games.
On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the first-ever phone call. It was to his assistant and he said, “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.”
The Eiffel Tower was ascended for the first time during March. Eiffel himself led a group of government officials and members of the press to the top. The elevators were not in operation yet, so the journey was made on foot and took over an hour.
So I don’t care how March comes in, I’m just glad it’s here….
Goodbye February — Hello (and welcome) March.
— 30 —