Branna’s Mad About March
A brain as wild as a March hare and marching to the beat of a different drum … well, enough about me! Let’s talk about the month of March’s myriad of milestones!
The noun “march” means “a steady, rhythmic walk.” The verb “march” has one walking with regular, measured steps. The month of March is anything but regular and rhythmic. Instead it’s fraught with a flurry of fun and frivolity!
Known for unpredictable weather, folklore dating back as far as the 1700s postulates the proverb “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” It suggests that March starts with cold, stormy weather (the lion) and ends with mild, gentle spring-like conditions (the lamb).
Month number 3’s maiden moniker referenced Mars, the Roman god of war, and was derived from the Latin term “Martius.” Originally the first month in the 10-month Roman calendar, it marked the beginning of spring and the resumption of both agricultural and military campaigns. It became the third month when January and February were added.
The many marvels of March include the anticipation of the NCAA’s annual basketball binge, beginning on March 17, but the madness doesn’t stop there. This perennial period paints a patchwork picture of global proportions.
March 8 brings focus to the femmes as International Women’s Day, while also signifying the start of Daylight Savings Time.
March 11 advocates for apples (Johnny Appleseed Day), while March 14 pitches “Pi Day,” marking the mathematical constant that rhymes with a delicious dessert.
Shakespeare warned “Beware the Ides of March” on the 15th – designated a day to settle debts in Rome, but also famous as the day Julius Caesar was assassinated.
Magic, mischief and mayhem are amassed on March 17, a delightful day of honoring the Green Isle, luck and lively leprechauns.
Spring-ing ahead to March 20, the vernal equinox affirms friendlier future forecasts, sharing this date with International Day of Happiness. (Coincidence? I don’t think so!)
Easter is always up in the air as it is (astronomically) celebrated on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon (alias the “Paschal Full Moon”) that occurs on or after the vernal equinox. This means Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25.(sadly, it did not make it in this month’s mention).
The list is endless, but befitting the “Borrowing Days,” lore lists the last three days (March 29-31) as such for their “stormy” reputation – showing the month can still go out like a lion.
I’d be remiss to omit other such observances as National Nutrition Month, the daffodil flower and aquamarine gemstone, the astrological attributes of a Pisces or Aries and the birth month of Bruce Willis and the benevolent Bon Jovi.
Alas, I leave you with these lines from poet Elizabeth Akers Allen:
“The brown buds thicken on the trees,
Unbound, the free streams sing,
As March leads forth across the leas
The wild and windy spring.”
Can You Relate is a column from Noblesville High School grad Branna (McCarty) Shores. Branna believes that “HOME is where your story begins.” A Noblesville native and proud alum of NHS and Purdue, she is a professional speaker, advocate for mental health and work / family balance and retired social worker. Branna is the mother of two grown daughters, six precious grandchildren and wife of one brave husband! Her passions include singing, writing and sharing the lighter side of life through lessons learned, both personally and professionally. She can be contacted at branna18@gmail.com