March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 21 marks the astronomical beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where September is the seasonal equivalent of the Northern Hemisphere's March.
History
The name of March comes from Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. It was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, and an ancestor of the Roman people through his sons Romulus and Remus. His month Martius was the beginning of the season for warfare,Mary Beard, John North, and Simon Price, Religions of Rome (Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 47–48 and 53. and the festivals held in his honor during the month were mirrored by others in October, when the season for these activities came to a close.Michael Lipka, Roman Gods: A Conceptual Approach (Brill, 2009), p. 37. The views of Georg Wissowa on the festivals of Mars framing the military campaigning season are summarized by C. Bennett Pascal, "October Horse," Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 85 (1981), p. 264, with bibliography. Martius remained the first month of the Roman calendar year perhaps as late as 153 BC,H.H. Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic (Cornell University Press, 1981), p. 84; Gary Forsythe, Time in Roman Religion: One Thousand Years of Religious History (Routledge, 2012), p. 14 (on the uncertainty of when the change occurred). and several religious observances in the first half of the month were originally new year's celebrations.Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, p. 85ff. Even in late antiquity, Roman mosaics picturing the months sometimes still placed March first.Aïcha Ben Abed, Tunisian Mosaics: Treasures from Roman Africa (Getty Publications, 2006), p. 113.
March 1 began the numbered year in Russia until the end of the 15th century. Great Britain and its colonies continued to use March 25 until 1752, when they finally adopted the Gregorian calendar (the fiscal year in the UK continues to begin on 6 April, initially identical to 25 March in the former Julian calendar). Many other cultures, for example in Iran, or Ethiopia, still celebrate the beginning of the New Year in March.
March is the first month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere (North America, Europe, Asia and part of Africa) and the first month of fall or autumn in the Southern Hemisphere (South America, part of Africa, and Oceania).
Ancient Roman observances celebrated in March include Agonium Martiale, celebrated on March 1, March 14, and March 17, Matronalia, celebrated on March 1, Junonalia, celebrated on March 7, Equirria, celebrated on March 14, Mamuralia, celebrated on either March 14 or March 15, Hilaria on March 15 and then through March 22–28, Argei, celebrated on March 16–17, Liberalia and Bacchanalia, celebrated March 17, Quinquatria, celebrated March 19–23, and Tubilustrium, celebrated March 23. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar.
Other names In Finnish, the month is called maaliskuu, which is believed to originate from maallinen kuu. The latter means earthy month and may refer to the first appearance of "earth" from under the winter's snow. In Ukrainian, the month is called березень/berezenʹ, meaning birch tree, and březen in Czech. Historical names for March include the Saxon Lentmonat, named after the March equinox and gradual lengthening of days, and the eventual namesake of Lent. Saxons also called March Rhed-monat or Hreth-monath (deriving from their goddess Rhedam/Hreth), and Angles called it Hyld-monath, which became the English Lide. In Croatia, the month is called Ožujak. In Slovene, the traditional name is sušec, meaning the month when the earth becomes dry enough so that it is possible to cultivate it. The name was first written in 1466 in the Škofja Loka manuscript. Other names were used too, for example brezen and breznik, "the month of birches". The Turkish word Mart is given after the name of Mars the god. In Thai, the month is called มีนาคม, pronounced as minakhm, it means "arrival of fish".
Symbols
March's birthstones are aquamarine and bloodstone. These stones symbolize courage. Its birth flower is the daffodil. The zodiac signs are Pisces until approximately March 20 and Aries from approximately March 21 onward.. Signs in UT/GMT for 1950–2030.
Observances This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance.
Month-long In Catholic tradition, March is the Month of Saint Joseph. Endometriosis Awareness Month (International observance) National Nutrition Month (Canada) Season for Nonviolence: January 30 – April 4 (International observance) Women's History Month (Australia, United Kingdom, United States) Women's Role in History Month (Philippines)
American Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month Irish-American Heritage Month Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month Music in our Schools Month National Athletic Training Month National Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month National Celery Month National Frozen Food Month National Kidney Month National Nutrition Month National Professional Social Work Month National Reading Awareness Month Youth Art Month
Non-Gregorian (All Baháʼí, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in question unless otherwise noted.) List of observances set by the Baháʼí calendar List of observances set by the Chinese calendar List of observances set by the Hebrew calendar List of observances set by the Islamic calendar List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar
Movable List of movable Eastern Christian observances List of movable Western Christian observances National Corndog Day (United States): March 21 Equal Pay Day (United States): March 31
First Sunday Children's Day (New Zealand)
First week, March 1 to 7 Global Money Week
School day closest to March 2 Read Across America Day
First Monday Casimir Pulaski Day (United States)
First Tuesday Grandmother's Day (France)
First Thursday World Book Day (UK and Ireland) World Maths Day
First Friday Employee Appreciation Day (United States, Canada)
Second Sunday Daylight saving time begins (United States and Canada)
Week of March 8: March 8–14 Women of Aviation Worldwide Week
Monday closest to March 9, unless March 9 falls on a Saturday Baron Bliss Day (Belize)
Second Monday Canberra Day (Australia) Commonwealth Day (Commonwealth of Nations)
Second Wednesday Decoration Day (Liberia) No Smoking Day (United Kingdom)
Second Thursday World Kidney Day
Friday of the second full week of March World Sleep Day
Third week in March National Poison Prevention Week (United States)
Third Monday Birthday of Benito Juarez (Mexico)
March 19th, unless the 19th is a Sunday, then March 20 Feast of Joseph of Nazareth (Western Christianity) Father's Day (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Honduras, and Bolivia) Las Fallas, celebrated on the week leading to March 19. (Valencia) "Return of the Swallow", annual observance of the swallows' return to Mission San Juan Capistrano in California.
Third Wednesday National Festival of Trees (Netherlands)
March equinox: c. March 20
Nowruz, The Iranian new year. (Observed Internationally) Chunfen (East Asia) Dísablót (some Asatru groups) Earth Equinox Day Equinox of the Gods/New Year (Thelema) Higan (Japan) International Astrology Day Mabon (Southern Hemisphere) (Neo-paganism) Ostara (Northern Hemisphere) (Neo-paganism) Shunbun no Hi (Japan) Sigrblót (The Troth) Summer Finding (Asatru Free Assembly) Sun-Earth Day (United States) Vernal Equinox Day/Kōreisai (Japan) World Storytelling Day
Fourth Monday Labour Day (Christmas Island, Australia)
Fourth Tuesday American Diabetes Alert Day (United States)
Last Saturday Earth Hour (International observance)
Last Sunday European Summer Time begins
Last Monday Seward's Day (Alaska, United States)
Fixed March 1 Baba Marta (Bulgaria), Beer Day (Iceland) Commemoration of Mustafa Barzani's Death (Iraqi Kurdistan) Heroes' Day (Paraguay) Independence Day (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Mărțișor (Romania and Moldavia) National Pig Day (United States) Remembrance Day (Marshall Islands) Saint David's Day (Wales) Samiljeol (South Korea) Self-injury Awareness Day (International observance) World Civil Defence Day March 2 National Banana Creme Pie Day (United States) National Reading Day (United States) Omizu-okuri ("Water Carrying") Festival (Obama, Japan) Peasant's Day (Burma) Texas Independence Day (Texas, United States) Victory at Adwa Day (Ethiopia) March 3 Hinamatsuri (Japan) Liberation Day (Bulgaria) Martyr's Day (Malawi) Mother's Day (Georgia) National Canadian Bacon Day (United States) Sportsmen's Day (Egypt) World Wildlife Day March 4 National Grammar Day (United States) St Casimir's Day (Poland and Lithuania) March 5 Custom Chief's Day (Vanuatu) Day of Physical Culture and Sport (Azerbaijan) Learn from Lei Feng Day (China) National Absinthe Day (United States) National Cheez Doodle Day (United States) St Piran's Day (Cornwall) March 6 European Day of the Righteous () Foundation Day (Norfolk Island) Independence Day (Ghana) March 7 Liberation of Sulaymaniyah (Iraqi Kurdistan) National Crown Roast of Pork Day (United States) Teacher's Day (Albania) March 8 International Women's Day International Women's Collaboration Brew Day Mother's Day (primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet bloc) National Peanut Cluster Day (United States) National Potato Salad Day (United States) March 9 National Crabmeat Day (United States) National Meatball Day (United States) Teachers' Day (Lebanon) March 10 Harriet Tubman Day (United States of America) Holocaust Remembrance Day (Bulgaria) Hote Matsuri (Shiogama, Japan) International Day of Women Judges (International observance) National Blueberry Popover Day (United States) National Mario Day (United States) National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States) Tibetan Uprising Day (Tibetan independence movement) March 11 Day of Restoration of Independence of Lithuania Johnny Appleseed Day (United States) Moshoeshoe Day (Lesotho) Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day (United States) March 12 Arbor Day (China) Arbor Day (Taiwan) Aztec New Year Girl Scout Birthday (United States) National Baked Scallops Day (United States) National Day (Mauritius) Tree Day (North Macedonia) World Day Against Cyber Censorship Youth Day (Zambia) March 13 Anniversary of the election of Pope Francis (Vatican City) Kasuga Matsuri (Kasuga Grand Shrine, Nara, Japan) L. Ron Hubbard's birthday (Scientology) Liberation of Duhok City (Iraqi Kurdistan) National Coconut Torte Day (United States) March 14 Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week March 14 to March 20 (United States) Pi Day White Day (Asia) March 15 Hōnen Matsuri (Japan) International Day Against Police Brutality J. J. Roberts' Birthday (Liberia) National Day (Hungary) World Consumer Rights Day World Contact Day World Day of Muslim Culture, Peace, Dialogue and Film World Speech Day Youth Day (Palau) March 16 Day of the Book Smugglers (Lithuania) Remembrance day of the Latvian legionnaires (Latvia) Halabja Day (Iraqi Kurdistan) Saint Urho's Day (Finnish Americans and Finnish Canadians) March 17 Children's Day (Bangladesh) Evacuation Day (Massachusetts) (Suffolk County, Massachusetts) Saint Patrick's Day (Ireland, Irish diaspora) March 18 Anniversary of the Oil Expropriation (Mexico) Flag Day (Aruba) Gallipoli Memorial Day (Turkey) Men's and Soldiers' Day (Mongolia) Teacher's Day (Syria) March 19 Kashubian Unity Day (Poland)