March, the third month in the Gregorian calendar, is well-known for its unpredictable spring weather (“in like a lion and out like a lamb”), NCAA basketball (a.k.a. “March Madness”), and, of course, St. Patrick’s Day and Mardi Gras celebrations. But March is also tied to ancient beginnings, historic events and even animal antics. Here’s a closer look.
The Origins of March
The name March comes from the Latin “Martius,” named for Mars, the Roman god of war, as military actions often resumed after winter. Initially, it was the first month of the ancient Roman 10-month calendar. But in the 7th century B.C.E., March became the third month after Numa Pompilius, Rome’s second king, added January and February, creating a 12-month lunar calendar.
Seasonal Oddities & Astronomical Facts
March ushers in the vernal, or spring, equinox—a.k.a. the first day of spring—usually falling between March 19 and 22, when the length of day and night are nearly equal. Celebrations observing the equinox and its symbolism of rebirth, renewal and balance have taken place since ancient times. In the ancient Mesoamerican city of Chichén Itzá, Mexico, people have gathered for centuries to witness an optical illusion during the spring equinox at the Kukulcán pyramid, where a snake appears to slither down the pyramid as a sign of the snake god’s return to earth.
Additionally, daylight saving time takes place every second Sunday of March, when clocks spring forward one hour to allow for longer daylight in the summer. Meanwhile, March’s full moon is known as the Worm Moon, named by Native Americans for worms that emerge in spring.
March’s Most Unexpected Natural Disasters
March has seen its share of dramatic weather events. The Great Blizzard of 1888 paralyzed the eastern U.S. with as much as 58 inches of snow in some regions, killing 400 people—half in New York City. Heavy winds created snow drifts as high as 50 feet and melting snow caused severe flooding. The storm paralyzed trains, downed telephone, telegraph and electrical wires, blacked out gas street lamps and trapped people in their homes. Undeterred, however, the Barnum & Bailey Circus still performed two shows at Madison Square Garden—though few besides P.T. Barnum himself attended.
On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku earthquake struck Japan, the worst in the nation’s history. It triggered a tsunami that left more than 15,500 dead, 450,000 homeless and three nuclear reactor meltdowns that led to mass evacuations.
March’s Animal Mascot (Historically Speaking)
Ever wonder about the phrase “mad as a March hare?” The hare, known for its, let’s say, enthusiastic mating rituals during its spring breeding season, serves as an animal symbol for the month. The mad hare was notably cited by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Friar’s Tale and by Lewis Carroll in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The hare also carries associations with Wiccan traditions, symbolizing Ostara, a holiday celebrating the spring equinox, rebirth, fertility and renewal. Legends and folk tales suggest the goddess Ostara transformed a bird into a hare that could lay colored eggs, linking the hare to the Easter bunny tradition.
Fascinating Historical Events
March has witnessed some unusual events throughout history. Take March 3, 1876, in Olympia Springs, Kentucky, when hunks of red meat fell from the sky in what became known as the Great Kentucky Meat Shower. “Two gentlemen, who tasted the meat, express the opinion that it was either mutton or venison,” The New York Times reported. The meat was later identified as lung, muscle and cartilage tissue, possibly regurgitated by vultures.
On March 9, 1953, the tiny Grand Principality of Outer Baldonia, a 4-acre island near Nova Scotia, humorously declared war on the U.S.S.R. after a Russian newspaper took its silly Declaration of Independence seriously, denouncing its policies that included “the inalienable right to lie and be believed; to drink, swear and gamble; to sleep all day and stay up all night.” The land’s owner struck back at the superpower in mock protest, but the Soviets simply ignored the non-country, which was eventually sold to the Nova Scotia Bird Society in 1973.
On March 3, 2007, some 170 Swiss soldiers accidentally “invaded” Liechtenstein during a training mission when they got lost in the rain, prompting an official apology from Swiss authorities. Liechtenstein, a small and peaceful country with neutral neighbors, wasn’t troubled by the incident, noting such occurrences have happened before.
And March 23, 1965, will forever live on as the day astronaut John Young smuggled a corned beef on rye into space on Gemini 3, sharing the sandwich with fellow astronaut Gus Grissom.
