Why? Because everybody knows that one can count on John Phillips Sousa for a good march.
March in other languages includes Marzo (Italian), mars (Albanian), Hlyd-monath (Anglo Saxon), mart (Armenian), br’ezen (Czech), Marts (Danish), and dawa-ssumpa (Tibetian) … so feel free to contribute others
March was named for Mars, the Roman god of war, who was also the guardian of agriculture
The name of March comes from Latin Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar
Martius was the beginning of the season for both farming and warfare, so and festivals held in his honor during the month were mirrored by other festivals in October, which closed the season for farming and warfare
March in the northern hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to September in the southern hemisphere
March starts the same day of the week as November every year, and February – but only in common years
March ends on the same day of the week as June every year
Because this is 2015 (preceding a leap year), March 2016 will start on the same day as September and December 2015. However, March 2015 ends on the same day of the week as May 2016
March’s birth flowers are the daffodil and jonquils
March’s birthstones, which symbolize courage, are aquamarine and bloodstone
March’s Zodiac signs are Pisces (until March 20) and Aries (March 21 and thereafter)
Full Moon on March 5th (6:05 pm UTC), and the New Moon displays on March 20th (9:36 am UTC)
March moon are called Crow Moon, Lenten Moon, Sap Moon, Seed Moon, and Worm Moon
Solar Eclipse on March 20 with the total eclipse of the sun being visible in Ireland, Europe, northern Africa, Europe, and Asia
The March equinox on the 20th at 10:46 pm UTC, which means sometime March 21st for many of the world … thus the day marking the transitions of winter to spring or summer to autumn
March has national celebrations in Australia, Bangladesh, Gibraltar, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, and South Korea
March 1st celebrations include Compliment Day, Daughters & Sons Day, Black Women in Jazz & the Arts Day, Wear Yellow Day (Endometriosis Day), Go Bowling Day, Horse Protection Day, Fruit Compote Day, Peanut Lovers Day, Pig Day, Plan a Solo Vacation Day, Refired not Retired Day, Seals Day, Self-Injury Awareness Day, Share a Smile Day, Zero Discrimination Day, Namesake Day (mine is after my Dad’s Army buddy from SF – we went sometime in the 1990s)
March promotes adopting a rescued guinea pig, expanding girls’ horizons in science & engineering, women’s health, dietetic nutrition, cheerleading safety, color therapy, eye donors, literacy, social work, women’s history, fire prevention, transgender healthcare equality, singing with your child, saving your vision, and playing the recorder
March celebrates crafts, child life, deaf history, ideas, mad for plaid, athletic training, kidneys, on-hold, supply management, and American Red Cross
March embraces credit education, employee spirit, Honor Society, expecting success, Irish-American heritage, music in schools, optimism, small press, spiritual wellness, youth art, hexagons, March Madness, and Francophones
March increases awareness in Alport Syndrome, brain injuries, colic, colorectal cancer, deep vein thrombosis, endometriosis, listening, malignant hypertension, caffeine, chronic fatigue syndrome, ethics, essential tremor, multiple sclerosis, nutrition, poison prevention, Trisomy, vascular abnormalities, and epilepsy
March appreciates humorists as artists, mirth, frozen foods, kites, peanuts, umbrellas, quinoa, maple sugar, sauces, flour, noodles, no meat, moustaches, hamburger & pickle, and dolphins
Which music did you enjoy? Do you have any personal celebrations in March?
Good post. But did you squeeze in a wee pun there at the beginning. I’m shocked 🙂
LikeLike
Fasab,
A wee pun? Of course not. After all, we do count on Sousa for a good march!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😉
LikeLike
My birthday is March 1st. I will be celebrating by having lunch with friends in my favourite mountain restaurant.
LikeLike
Debra,
Although I’m replying on the 28th my time, it is currently your birthday in your time zone. So Happy Birthday!
LikeLike
Happy Birthday Dear Debra, I hope you had a nice day, Love, nia
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lots of great information as always, Frank!
I’ve never been a fan of March. It teases us with its weather: we think spring is here and then, whoops, down comes another snowfall. Plus, in pediatrics, it’s always a very busy month. So many viruses around–the end of the winter viruses and the beginning of the spring ones. But once April comes, I sigh in relief and know spring will finally arrive.
LikeLike
Carrie,
March seems to be unable to make up its mind … such as extreme opposites back to back days! Then again, in like a lion, out like a lamb.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In your list of March celebrations above, I thought I read “kidneys on-hold” until I saw the comma in between…whew! I didn’t realize that it was also celebrating francophones (not phones made especially for guys named Frank?) when I was planning my blog post for the coming week….a translation from the French poetry of a 16th century woman. Good reading, as always. Love Sousa marches….sometimes.
LikeLike
Cynthia,
Thanks for the chuckles with kidneys on hold and francophones. Well done!!!
LikeLike
Ha-ha! to your opening sentence 🙂 The Takemitsu Songs piece was new to me and it is lovely! The end of March is my eldest daughters birthday, she was born on Easter Sunday. On an inconsequential aside Frank, I’m wondering if Julie London had a song for every month – she often seems to appear here! This month I will be mostly readying myself for my wee jaunt to your country which I am very much looking forward to – although a little disconcerted by the amount of snow I’m still seeing!
LikeLike
Pauline,
Before looking for the songs, I wondered the same thing about Julie London!
Odds are your weather for your trip will be much better. March starts our transition into spring … actually this week’s weather is supposed to be warmer. After all, aren’t you hoping for the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC?
Thanks for sharing the your eldest daughter’s birthday!
LikeLike
Happy March, Frank! Love Sousa’s marches!! Julie London is my fave whenever you post her. The best thing about March is the Vernal Equinox. Finally, we should get a day close to 0C, or 32F!
Well, Frank, I didn’t win the award. I’m totally okay with that.I truly like the deserving person who won. I did a post about my experience, which is now 2 posts ago. Much like Sousa, and your article, I will March on! 🙂
LikeLike
Resa,
Bummer on the award … but hey … the nomination is quite the honor … so stand tall and be proud! … I’ll be over soon to see the post, so thanks for letting me know. … and oh yes … cheers to the weather transitioning to the better for us!
LikeLike
I hope that it is indeed a good March, Frank, because I am so sick of February! But I agree with Carrie, March does seem like a transition month and the weather can be all over the place: pleasant one day and yet another snowfall the next. That’s a whole other kind of March madness. As for the music since I had the time to listen to all, I tuned in (but I cut Journey off; I’ve never been a fan of them). I enjoyed Sousa and Julie London, but my favorite this time was Susannah McCorkle. I forgot about her. She lived not that far from me when she so tragically committed suicide. She had such a beautiful voice and that’s such a great song. At least her music lives on.
LikeLike
Lame,
I’m tired of the cold, so I’m more than ready to more on. At least I haven’t had as much snow as you … but I believe we get warmer weather this week. Then again, warmer March weather frequently bring rains. Heck, our current forecast for Tuesday is thunderstorms and highs in the 50s! Glad you enjoyed the music!
LikeLike
March 1st weather update from NYC: it’s snowing again right now.
LikeLike
Yep … I awaken to snow this morning … but hopefully this is the lion part of the saying.
LikeLike
Like winter is going out like a lion? I’m looking forward to this beast getting caged!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bring on the lamb!
LikeLike
I suspect that means a Lambchop puppet for NYC, the way this endless winter is going.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That will work … as will lion burgers.
LikeLike
Bet those don’t taste like chicken.
LikeLike
Agree … but slay the beast, one gets burgers.
LikeLike
I’ll give mine to Milton. I’ve been laying off the red meat as part of my ongoing health and fitness lifestyle change. I blew his mind the other night when I took off like a rocket and managed to catch his bus for him that was a block away. He’s a big guy who could run the 20 yard dash in about 24 hours. Had I not been doing all this spin bike riding these past 14 months he would have been stuck waiting 20-30 minutes for the next bus in the cold. Or, he would have had to shell out for a cab. Viva la spin bike!
LikeLike
That a way … you’ve attacked the bike with vim and vigor … so hats off!
LikeLike
And thus far, no heart attack!
LikeLike
Unrelated: my bud, Martini Max, turned me onto this va-va-voom video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyTTX6Wlf1Y Do you know it?
LikeLike
I like it … thanks for the share!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! I thought you’d dig it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great homage to March! [my month!]
[interesting facts about the moon too – bet you saw this coming!]
Have a great weekend and a beautiful beautiful month ahead. 🙂
LikeLike
Marina,
Your month as in your birthday month? … My wife’s celebrates, too! In terms of the moon info, yep … I thought of you when gathering the info!
LikeLike
🙂 Yes! First day of Spring [a date you mention as the transition from winter to spring -or summer to autumn and first day of aries. 😉 And from what you write, many things happen near this date, this year [new moon and eclipse]. When’s your wife’s?
LikeLike
All those celestial things seem to happen together. Meanwhile, she shares birthday with a famous Irish saint.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙄 !!!! Ah, that Saint!!! Same day as my best childhood friend’s!!! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m just glad February is ending Frank. It’s been a long cold lonely winter for just about everybody.
LikeLike
Elyse,
Absolutely here comes the sun … but we just have to be patient because March usually teases us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice to see your post Frank, a very happy March to you. Both my Mother and Father celebrate birthdays this month ~ always lots of activity during this time of year.
LikeLike
Mary,
Cheers to your parents and their birthdays in March … Thanks for sharing as the join my wife with celebrations.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Birthday to Mrs. Frank!
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Happy March, Frank. I really love that song by Susan McCorkle. So sad she’s no longer with us. It’s my grandson’s 16th birthday on March 20th. 🙂
LikeLike
Sylvia,
Cheers to your March, and thanks for sharing your grandson’s joyous occasion.
LikeLike
I love March! I love it because I still just about have the last hope of a snowfall (I SO wanted snow this year as we didn’t get any last year, sigh), but aside from that, we also have the promise of the whole summer ahead of us – the spring days are starting, like this morning (it’s 7.30am here), I can see blue sky out of the window and hear some birds chirping, so I can start to feel hopeful that we will have many months of sunshine ahead of us, in reality it’s England, so we probably won’t, but March is a month of hope.
LikeLike
Vanessa,
March is unquestionably a transition month and one that is a mix of teases and smacks. My day started with 3-5 cm of snow … but, temps are warming!
LikeLike
Is there anything March doesn’t do? I’m celebrating saying goodbye to February. Hope is on the horizon. Great post ( it is compliment day) enjoyed the McCorkle. Happy Sunday, sir.
LikeLike
Audra,
Although February is my month, it’s time to boot it down the road. I’m tired of this stuff, so I can imagine you are even more so. As far as the new month goes, March does not have monthly celebrations for rhutabagas, snail pizza, kitty litter, tiddly winks, and one-eyed parrots.
LikeLike
Tiddly winks…. You make me smile
LikeLike
🙂 … however, there is a day in late March that could be Tiddly Winks Day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love a John Phillips Sousa march and this one in particular. Wow you rounded up a lot of facts about this month. I love March too, because it’s my mother’s birthday — she’ll be a remarkable 89.
LikeLike
Georgette,
Glad you enjoyed starting March with a touch of Sousa! … and many cheers to your mother as she approaches 89! Awesome!!!!
LikeLike
“The Washington Post March” – What a delightful way to start the month of March! Thanks for brushing aside my disappointment over not being able to play golf this afternoon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tim,
I imagine you played that march on more than one occasion in the Navy Band. As far as your golf dilemma, there;s always Greenies, a place with video golf opportunities.
LikeLike
I’m getting pretty desperate so I’ll plan to check with you this week about Greenies.
LikeLike
Give me a call … I may be available some days for lunch and golf at Greenies.
LikeLike
G’Day Mr Frank. Good to see you popping in to herald the ides of March…I like that the moon gets a different name several times a month. It would be boring to just be called “moon” all of the time. Now it can ‘visualise’ itself in all sorts of different scenarios when it goes about its daily routine. I particularly like ‘seed moon’ and ‘worm moon’ in keeping with the spring theme. I did a bit of a double-take when I read that you were named after a ‘dad’s army’ buddy. You see ‘Dad’s Army’ was a very popular U.K. television series last century and there was a character called Frank in the series. Funny how a sentence can mean something completely different to someone on the other side of the world ;). I KNEW that someone was out there nefariously getting small children to adopt guinea pigs and now I have the proof! Singing with your child is MUCH to be preferred to having to listen to them play the recorder…
I love march. It means that the weather starts to cool down and we don’t have to sleep on top of the bed any more ;). I graciously hand over spring to the Norther hemisphere with glee! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Narf,
As you are willing to hand over spring to us in the north because we will happily take it! Your info about Dad’s Army is funny … but it did make me smile because it meant someone noticed my little embedded commentary.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s my job to notice Mr Frank…someone has to do it 😉
LikeLike
Now I’m encouraged to embed more. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nothing like a good March – and you’ve covered just about everything. Hey – sun! And warmer! Maybe Spring is ready to march shortly? (might explain the daffodils…but not that one left over impatient that dared to stick out a bloom today) Love that Sousa. Thanks
LikeLike
What an assortment of fascinating facts, Frank. I think you did cover just about everything. That’s cool that the March flower is a daffodil. I was planning to go to Daffodil Hill today in Amador County, but it’s closed to the bit of rainfall we had on Friday. Apparently, the trails are too muddy. They did get some early blooms though because of our fabulous weather.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amy,
Glad you enjoyed the post. Just looked at Daffodil Hill on Google Images … very cool.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Frank, from one of your “regulars…!” Ha Ha! Glad you’re back but it doesn’t seem like you went anywhere! Thank you for the fascinating and thoroughly complete education on the month of March! I love the lyrics to “The Waters of March” as well, in fact the same exact video accompanies a post on my blog! Love how Jobim captures the melancholy of life in the lyrics – esp the line, “It’s the mud, it’s the mud, it’s the mud” – definitely apropos for the month of March!
LikeLike
Kelly,
Finding songs with the month in the title is a challenge, but I like embedding them between all the factoids .. .and as you’ve well noted, many of the lyrics are also a great fit. Glad you found something you enjoyed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful beginning of March… I loved songs… Wonderful selection. Thank you dear Frank, have a nice and enjoyable month, love, nia
LikeLike
Nia,
Happy March to you and wishing you nothing but the best in the days ahead. Glad you enjoyed the music.
LikeLike
And here I thought only a “sap moon” came when I started crying during movies! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Christy,
Well … crying during movies seen in March.
LikeLike
Aha, now it all makes sense…!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am a Journey fan, even though some would say I’m too young to be one lol. I love this music post. You know I always love when you write post like this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kay,
Thank you … and the music in this post is quite the variety!
LikeLike
I love Julie London, so enjoyed Melancholy March. March is my birthday month, so this was a fun read. I didn’t know half of the facts, but I’m delighted to note there will be a solar eclipse in my honor! I’m a pet lover, too, but I’m going to forego adopting a guinea pig. We have several buried in our backyard. 🙂
LikeLike
Debra,
Julie London continues to be a big favorite here. I’ve got the feeling she did an album with a song about each month … which is a good thing. A solar eclipse for you is quite the honor, now the pressure is on me to remember.
LikeLike
Unlike the snowy east coast, we returned in March to find nothing but sunny days so far (cold, but sunny.) More sun here so far than we saw in Australia where most days brought clouds or rain – probably for the best though because the few that were sunny were quite hot.
LikeLike
LB,
Hooray for returning to sunshine. But hey … better weather is definitely just around the corner!
LikeLike
you always have a very nice selection of music, Frank . . . March, a good month to celebrate literacy and caffeine. ha-ha!! 🙂
LikeLike
Sun,
I enjoy picking out the music for various posts … but sometimes its a challenge. Which was your favorite in this post?
LikeLiked by 1 person
the Japanese musician one.
no wait. the Iron Maiden because i thought some screamer would suddenly jump on stage during the live performance and attempt to sing something but thankfully did not.
…but wait. the Julie London singer has such a sultry voice…OOOOh. it’s too hard to have just one fave!! 😛
LikeLike
Great answer!
LikeLike
i had a high school teacher, trigonometry, short guy, like a mini-einstein. brilliant but absent minded. every year on March 4, someone would ask, “Mr. Sandler. What’s today’s date?” he’d say “March Fourth.” and everyone would stand up and march towards the front of the room. he was a good sport.
LikeLike
Rich,
Now that’s funny! Haven’t heard that one before … and cheers to the teacher for being a good sport.
LikeLike
Lot of great facts about March!
LikeLike
BRB,
Welcome first-time commenters! … Tons of info about March, and hopefully you took time to enjoy the music. I try to make this a regular feature to start the month.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I look forward to do
LikeLiked by 1 person