All things March . . .
Most months bring themes or images to mind, even to some extent, we associate certain months with certain colors. This month makes me think of the color green and shamrocks. A quick web search tells me I am not alone in this line of thinking, but that I missed a few:
March 1 is National Pig Day
According to Mary Lynne Rave in a comment she made to the Virgin Island Daily News in 1980, ” Pigs aren’t really fat. They’re reubenesque.” She and her sister started National Pig Day because she felt that pigs were getting a bad rap. Pigs are highly intelligent creatures and wonderful pets. (I wonder if they have self-esteem issues?)
March Madness
For those unfamiliar with this sporting event, its the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, this year involving 68 teams. It is a single-elimination tournament that begins on March 17, ending on April 6 at the championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. I found a printable bracketon the NCAA website.
March 13 is National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day
Oh yes, and step on a crack while you’re at it! Go right ahead, open your umbrella indoors on Friday the 13th this year. I believe the idea here is that there will be safety in numbers. If we all do it on the same day we’ll tilt the cosmic scale and break the superstition – if you believe in that kind of thing.
March 15 is The Ides of March
It is actually a day on the Roman Calendar, and one we associate with the death of Julius Caesar. We believe it to be March 15, even though the Roman calendar is a bit different from the Gregorian calendar we use today. The Romans did not use a sequential monthly date calendar. They counted back from three fixed points each month: the Nones, the Ides and the Kalends. The “Ides” is the mid-point, around the 13th – 15th each month. We consider the Ides of March, in 44 BC, March 15, to be the day of the assassination of Julius Caesar. He had been warned to “beware the Ides of March”.
 March 17 is Saint Patrick’s Day
There is a lot of interesting history around Saint Patrick’s Day. First of all, did you know the shamrock’s involvement with this holiday? I didn’t realize that the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, used shamrocks, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish.
March 17th is the widely-accepted date of the death of Saint Patrick and is a public holiday in Ireland. It is a time to celebrate the heritage and the culture of the Irish as well as recognizing the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.
March 21 is National Puppy Day
Today, let’s all take the opportunity to look at some adorable little fur balls. Millions of unwanted pups sit alone in the shelter every day! Consider this day a donation to your local shelter or maybe a new addition to your family. There are many, many wonderful puppies and dogs at shelters and rescues all across the United States waiting for you to come get them.
|
Josh N. is a six-year old boy from Franklin, TN who has Craniopharyngioma. His wish is to be a rodeo cowboy! Pictured at right is Josh in his full cowboy attire, with his pretend bull his dad made from PVC pipe and a lasso that he uses to practice.
Elliott’s wish announcement party was held as his favorite place, Chick-Fil-A, where he dined on chicken nuggets with his family and friends. We are grateful to all the agents at the Franklin office who contributed to Michelle’s campaign and appreciate you making Elliott’s wish come true!
