Freelance Writer’s Almanac – March 2014

Today is the first day of March. The word “March comes form the Roman ‘Martius.’ According to this site, it was originally the first month of the year (Roman calendar) named after Mars the god of war.

The flower of the month of March is the Daffodil or Jonquil.

March’s stone is Aquamarine  / Bloodstone (modern) and Jasper / Bloodstone  (traditional) – meaning: COURAGE.

Here’s a rhyme for March’s Bloodstone:

Some  sayings associated with March’s weather:

“When March comes in like a lion it goes out like a lamb.”

“As it rains in March so it rains in June.”

“March winds and April showers
Bring forth May flower.”

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• March 1-16 – Dogsled race, the  Iditarod.

• New moon

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• Alexander Graham Bell was born on this day in 1847 in Edinburgh Scotland. He went on to invent the telephone (The Christian Almanac [T.C.A.] p. 141).

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• Shrove Tuesday – Pancake Day (Shrovetide)

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• Ash Wednesday

• On this day in 1953 Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin (creator of the Iron Curtain) died at the age of 73 years.  (TCA p. 145. )

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• Michelangelo was born on this day in 1475.

• Silly putty was invented on this day in 1950 (TCA p. 147).

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• World Day of prayer (always first Friday)

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• On this day in 1859 Kenneth Grahame, creator of The Wind in the Willows was born in Edinburgh Scotland. Parts of the book were written as letters to his young son (TCA p. 151).

• International Women’s Day – March 8th

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• Daylight Savings Time begins

• First Sunday in Lent – LITURGY

  

• The Mustang is 50! The Ford Motor Co. produced the first Ford Mustang on this day in 1964. It became an instant classic (TCA p. 153).

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• Salvation Army Day

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• Organize your home office day

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• James Taylor (singer) was born on this day in 1948.

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• Earmuffs, patented as “Champion Ear Protector” by Greenwood, were introduced on this day in 1877.

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• Ides of March

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• Today is the Jewish holiday of Purim

• Second Sunday in Lent – LITURGY

• Full Moon

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• St. Patrick’s Day – LITURGY

• Kate Greenaway, English artist and book illustrator was born on this day in 1846 in London. Her illustrated books like Mother Goose created a revolution in book illustration (TCA P. 169).

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• Feast of St. Joseph – LITURGY

• David Livingstone – physician and explorer was born on this day in 1813.

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• Vernal equinox (first day of Spring)

• World Storytelling Day– On World Storytelling Day, as many people as possible tell and listen to stories in as many languages and at as many places as possible, during the same day and night.

• Brian Mulroney, former Canadian Prime Minister  turns 75 today (born in 1939).

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• U.N. World Poetry Day

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• U.N. World Water Day

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• Third Sunday in Lent – LITURGY

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• Feast of Oscar Romero and the Martyrs of San Salvador – Oscar Romero was assassinated on this day in 1980.

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• Feast of the Annunciation – LITURGY

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• Robert Frost was born on this day in 1874. (He’d be 140 today.)

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• Coca Cola was introduced on this day in 1886

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• The painter Vincent Van Gogh was born on this day in 1853.

• It is also the birthday of Canadian singer Celine Dion (1968).

• Fourth Sunday in Lent – LITURGY

• New Moon

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• The English poet John Donne  died on this day in 1631 at the age of 59.

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Lots of other days celebrated in March found at Brownielocks
http://www.brownielocks.com/march.html