March

The Saturday Evening Post, March 20, 1943

March is the third month of the year. The name of March comes from the Latin Martius, the first month in the earliest Roman calendar. It was named for the Mars, the Roman God of war and a guardian of agriculture, who was believed to be a common ancestor of the Romans through the founders Remus and Romulus. Martius was the beginning of both agriculture and warfare season, perfect for the God of both. In Slovene, the traditional name is sušec, which refers to the ground finally becoming dry enough to cultivate. In Ukranian Czech, and Slovene, there are other names, all referring to it as "birch month". The birth flower for March is the daffodil, also known as the narcissus. Gemstones are aquamarine and bloodstone. Zodiac signs are Pisces and Aries, the ram that provided the golden fleece.

March's most famous holiday is St. Patrick's Day, a celebration and feast day for the Irish saint. It celebrates the day St. Patrick drove the Pagans out of Ireland and the arrival of Christianity, and more universally the Irish culture. It is usually celebrated by the wearing of green, parades, and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Lenten restrictions on drinking and food are lifted for the St. Patrick's feast day.

Flowers: Daffodil, Narcissus/Narcissa, Jonquil (a type of Daffodil)
Gems: Aquamarine, Beryl (aquamarine is a type of beryl), Cyan; Jasper (a bloodstone is a type of jasper), Heliotrope (the scientific name for a bloodstone)
Zodiac: Pisces, Mina ("fish"), Minali ("fish catcher"), Fisher, Pike; Aries, Ovid ("a sheep"), Kreios/Crius (either "lord, master" or "ram")
Third: Tertius, Tercero, Tri
St. Patrick's: Patrick/Patricia, Pádraig/Pádaigín, Patrick, Patricius, Clover
Irish Names: Clodagh, Aoife, Cillian, Saoirse, Caoimhe, Finn/Fionn, Eoin, Aidan, Aisling, Róisín, Sadhbh, Ronan, Maeve/Meabh, Lorcan, Orla/Órfhlaith (for more go here!)
Other: Mars, Martius, Birch