#FunFactFriday – March
The month of March is hands-down my favorite (a close second being October). Back where I’m from the snow is starting to melt and the crocuses may even start to sprout up out of the ground if it’s warm enough! Unfortunately, one of Michigan’s infamous April blizzards usually wipes them out again. But in Arizona, March is so different—and so much more enjoyable!
It’s also worth mentioning that my love for this month most likely stems from the fact that it’s my birthday month. March 14 is the best day of the year in my opinion and I get to share it with some other noteworthy people born on this day: Albert Einstein; Billy Crystal; and Steph Curry! Don’t forget that it is also National Pi Day (the 3.14 Pi).
But I digress—let’s not forget about what the rest of the month as to offer, including a special tribute to St. Patrick’s Day and the myths that surround this special holiday!
Here are some other surprising and fun facts about the month of March!
Happy New Year, ancient Romans
According to the oldest Roman calendars, one full year was actually only 10 months long, beginning in March and ending in December. As for January and February? They were just two nameless months called “winter”—no joke!
Basketball is king
March Madness runs from March 11 to April 2 this year and already has most sports lovers in a tizzy. Did you know that American companies are predicted to lose $1.9 billion in wages paid to unproductive workers who are wrapped up in the tournament? That being said, March is one of the most unproductive months of the year.
Need to schedule a vasectomy?
Then March is your month! According to doctors at the Cleveland Clinic, the number of vasectomies surges by 50 percent during the first week of March Madness. They think that men figure that they’re recovery time on the couch will be best spent watching the tournament!
Beware the Ides of March
We’ve all heard of this but what does it actually mean? Back to the Romans again! On their calendar, the midpoint of every month was called the Ides. This day, March 15, was supposed to correlate with the first full moon of the year and marked religious ceremonies. That was until a seer told Julius Caesar in 44BC that his downfall would come no later than the Ides of March. We know what happened next.
The Day of the Dude
Did you know that March 6 is dubbed the Day of the Dude to honor the birthday of the fictional character, The Big Lebowski? On this day, folks are encouraged to “take ‘er easy” by getting together with friends, make some White Russians, watch the sacred film and go bowling afterwards.
St. Patrick’s Day Facts that Are Actually False:
St. Patrick was Irish
False! The patron saint of Ireland was actually born in Scotland. When he was a teenager, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. He escaped, returned back to the monastery in Scotland, and then returned to Ireland as a missionary where he died.
In fact, he wasn’t even canonized!
During St. Patrick’s lifetime “saint” was not an official title bestowed only to those whom the Pope deemed worthy. It was a general title assigned to people who lived holy lives and performed acts of martyrdom.
Green was St. Patrick’s favorite color
It was actually blue! Members of the Order of St. Patrick used blue as their symbolic color.
Patrick’s Day traditions…
…were not all started in Ireland. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred in New York City in 1782. And as for alcohol consumption, it was not a staple of the holiday in Ireland by any means. Irish immigrants began using the day as a way to celebrate their Irish heritage, which began involving copious amounts of alcohol.
We hope you all enjoy this month as much as we do! And don’t forget to move your clocks forward on March 13, as that’s when daylight savings time begins (except here in AZ)!
