After what felt like a long February — thanks to the bitterly cold weather — March is finally upon us. Could spring really be on the horizon? This week we take a closer look at the month of March.
Special Days on the Calendar
There are a trio of environmentally-minded days on the calendar this month, including World Wildlife Day on March 3, World Water Day on March 22, and Earth Hour on March 30. The latter is not the same as Earth Day, which is celebrated on April 22. Rather, it is the day when people across the globe come together to turn off lights for one hour. It began in 2007 in Australia. Each year, landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building go dark to mark the date. Over 180 countries participate.
International Women's Day is March 8. Locally, women will be celebrated during the annual PRISM awards ceremony, which will be held Saturday, March 2 at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. The event raises funds for Moose Jaw Transition House.
Math geeks will be glad to celebrate Pi Day on March 14. The annual observance corresponds with the mathematical constant’s number, 3.14159... It may seem like Pi Day is a relatively new phenomenon, but it was first celebrated in San Francisco back in 1988.
Of course, St. Patrick’s Day is also coming up on March 17. Erin go Bragh!
Lent Begins
It may seem hard to believe, but Easter will be here before you know it. The Lenten season, which is the 40 day period leading up to Easter Sunday, will begin with Ash Wednesday on March 6. Some Christians commit to fasting during this period, while others choose to “give up” some type of luxury. Lent lasts for 40 days to symbolically commemorate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert. The actual period of time lasts 46 days, but this includes six Sundays which are typically not included in the fast.
Spring is in the Air
It won’t really affect us here in Saskatchewan, but Daylight Savings Time will come into effect on March 10. If you still watch TV live and without the aid of a PVR, get ready for all your favourite TV shows to air an hour earlier.
Of course, the first day of spring will be March 20. Will it actually feel like spring by then? We can only hope!
The Ides of March
The Ides of March are not really as ominous as we assume. The Ides of March refers to a day on the Roman calendar, corresponding to March 15. For the Romans, it was a deadline for settling debts. It was also a feast day. In reality, there are Ides in every month, as it refers to how the Romans divided up the month. There were three such days used: the Nones, the Ides, and the Kalends. March 15 and the associated expression “Beware the Ides of March” refers to the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The expression itself was popularized by William Shakespeare.
The Wide World of Sports
If you are into sports, March has plenty to offer. The NHL season is entering the home stretch; by the end of the month the final game of the regular season is less than a week away (April 6). The NBA playoffs aren’t far off either. Additionally, the World Men’s Curling Championships will begin on March 30.
Baseball lovers rejoice, as Major League Baseball will celebrate Opening Day on March 28. It will be the earliest start to the season in history — excluding games that opened internationally, such as in 2014 when the Dodgers played the Diamondbacks in Australia on March 22.
Oh, and perhaps you have heard of a little something known as March Madness. The 68-team college basketball championship gets started on March 19. Get your (soon to be busted) brackets ready!