The Month of March 2024: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore (2024)

“March” is named for the Roman god of war, Mars. However, we think of it as the beginning of spring, as March brings thevernal equinox, the Full Worm Moon and the return of Daylight Saving Time! Here are important dates, gardening tips, and early spring recipes to celebrate the start ofspring.

The Month ofMarch

“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.Read more about how the months got their names.

In the early Roman calendar, March (or Martius) was the first month of the calendar year.As March brought the first day of spring with the vernal equinox, it was the start of newbeginnings.

March became the third month when January and February, whichwereaddedto the end of the Roman calendararound 700 BCE,instead became the first and second months around 450 BCE.

I Martius am! Once first, and now third!
To lead the Year was my appointed place;
A mortal dispossessed me by a word,
And set there Janus with the double face.
–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet(1807–82)

MarchCalendar

• March 8 isInternational Women’s Day, which is a day that not only celebrates the achievements of women and the progress made toward women’s rights but also brings attention to ongoing struggles for equality around theworld.
• March 10is the start ofDaylight Saving Time, which begins at 2:00 A.M.that day. If your area observes it, don’t forget to “spring forward” and set the clocks one hour ahead, or you may find yourself an hour late toeverything!
• March 10 also marks the start of Ramadan, which begins at sundown. In Islam, Ramadan is considered a holy month when a month-long, sunrise-to-sunset fast isobserved.
• March 15 isthe Ides of March!Legend surrounds this ill-fated day. Beware the Ides ofMarch!
• March 17 isSt. Patrick’s Day. According to folklore, folks wear a shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day because the saint used its three leaves to explain theTrinity.
• March 19brings about theMarch equinox—also called the vernal orspring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere—markingthe beginning of spring. In the Southern Hemisphere, this date marks the autumnal equinox and the beginning of fall. On this day, the Sun stands directly over Earth’sequator.
• March 24 is Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter and the last Sunday ofLent.
• March 29-31 are known as theBorrowing Days.According to lore, thelast three days of March have a reputation for beingstormy.
• March 29is Good Friday. Learn more about Good Friday.
• March 31 is Easter Sunday. (May 5 is Orthodox Easter.) Did you know that Easter’s date is related to the full Moon?

The brown buds thicken on the trees,
Unbound, the free streams sing,
As March leads forth across the leas
The wild and windy spring.
–Elizabeth AkersAllen(1832–1911)

“Just for Fun”Days

Did you know that March is National Umbrella Month? Here are some more wacky things to celebrate thismonth:

• March 3: What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable ThumbsDay
• March 11: International Fanny PackDay
• March 13: National Ear MuffDay
• March 16: National PandaDay
• March 16: Absolutely Incredible KidDay
• March 23: World MeteorologicalDay
• March 31: World BackupDay

MarchAstronomy

The Full WormMoon

March’s full Moon, the Worm Moon, reaches peak illumination on the morning ofMonday, March 25, 2024.Look for it on the evening of Sunday, March 24, as the moon rises above thehorizon!

Why is it called the Worm Moon? Find out in our March full Moon guide!

In Like a Leo, Out Like anAries

You may have heard the weather proverb, “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb,” which means that if the month starts off stormy, it will end with mild weather. There is, however, a different interpretation: The constellation Leo, the lion, rises in the east at the beginning of March. 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 alamb.”

The Start ofSpring

The March equinox occurs on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is known as the vernal, or spring, equinox and marks the start of the spring season. In the Southern Hemisphere, autumnbegins.

At this time, the Sun crosses the celestial equator on its way north. Also, on this day, the Sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west—a good thing to know if you get lost in thewoods.

→Learn more about the March equinox here!

MarchGardening

• Planning a vegetable garden? We’ve done all the research for you—from how far to space plants to seeding dates to the best crops to plant together.Try the AlmanacGarden Planner for free!
• Wondering when to plant what? Check out our free location-based Planting Calendar to see when to start seedsand transplants in yourarea.
• Just getting started with gardening?Check out our newLearn to Garden series, as well as our numerous veggie, fruit, flower, and herbGrowing Guides for moreadvice.

Recipes for theSeason

• In celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day, try making some traditional Irish food—from Irish Soda Bread to Corned Beef and Cabbage.See 20 St. Patrick’s Day recipes.
• March is the start of spring! Enjoy this delicious Spring Risottorecipe, as well as this recipe for Cream of Fiddleheads Soup.
• See ourSpring Recipescollection for more delicious recipes using the season’s bestingredients.
• Now is the timeto make maple sugar. Read more about this natural wonder. And, to make use of that delicious syrup, check out our favorite Pancake Recipes!

EverydayAdvice

• According to folklore, wear a sprig of rosemary in your hair to improve yourmemory!
• March brings rain and mud! Sprinkle salt on carpets to dry out muddy footprints before vacuuming. Findmore cleaning tips.

Birds &Fishing

According to Henry David Thoreau, the call of a bluebird is a song that “melts the ear, as the snow.”Read more about thislovely bird in “House-hunting With the Bluebird.”

Check birdhouses for damage and give them a spring cleaning before tenants arrive for the season.Learn how to attract birds to your garden!

Spring means fishing! See when the Best Days to Fish this yearare.

Folklore for theSeason

• A wet spring, a dry harvest.
• On St. Patrick’s Day, the warm side of a stone turns up, and the broad-back goose begins tolay.
• March comes in with adders’ heads and goes out with peaco*cks’tails.
• Thunder in spring, Cold willbring.
• So many mists in March you see, So many frosts in May willbe.
• In beginning or in end, March its gifts willsend.
• Bleak winds assault us all around;
  Dances aloft, or skims the ground:
  See the school-boy—his hat in hand,
  While on the path he scarce canstand

March’s birthflower is the daffodil or jonquil. The daffodil signifies regard or unrequited love. The jonquil means “I desire a return of affection.” See more about March’s birth flower.

March’s birthstone is the aquamarine. This gem is a type of beryl; its color can be pale to dark blue, greenish-blue, or blue-green; deep, intense blue versions are more valuable. See more about March’s birthstone.

March’s Zodiac signs are Pisces (February 20 to March 20) and Aries (March 21 to April20).

LearnMore

Read about the previous month, February, or the next month, April!