March Right On
10 little known facts and old adages about the third month of the year
The third month on our callendar is March and there are quite a few little known facts about this month. There are also old sayings that many baby boomers heard from their parents or grandparents. I will share a few that may bring back fond memories for some and be introduced to others for the first time.
1.Keep Marching
During this time of the year, my grandmother often said: "If you can January and February you can March right on." What she meant was that if you could withstand the harsh weather of winter and make it to the third month then spring and warm weather were just around the corner. Following is a poem I wrote because of this saying.
Christmas and New Year are now in the past
How you wished those wonderful moments would last
Freezing temperatures leave you chilled the bone
Slipping and sliding on ice and your hair is windblown
The sun, sets early as night comes too soon
You long for sunlight as you gaze at the moon
Depression and social anxiety set in
You’re avoiding contact with family and friends
Cheer up the days are growing in length
The sun will shine more giving you strength
Snow ice and sleet will soon be over
You can search in the grass for four leaf clovers
Set your mind on Spring weather that soon will dawn
If you make it through January and February
Then you can March right on
2. Happy New Year
March was actually the beginning of a new year for some locals. Much of Europe used March as the start of the year and Britain celebrated March 25th as the start of the New Year until 1752.
3. It's fall
For those living in the Southern Hemisphere, March is the same as September is for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.
4. Wake up sleepy head Yogi Bear
March is the time of year when animals start to wake up from hibernation. This causes me to think of Yogi Bear cartoons where he and Boo Boo try to hibernate for the winter.
5. The March wind was very real
When I was in elementary school in the late 1960s the March wind was unlike any other. It wud blow so hard that you had to hold onto something in order not to be blown over. This was also the time of year that many children flew kites which is something you really do not see anymore. Neither does the March wind blow the way it did decades ago. I can recall walking to church for practice for an Easter program and the wind actually pushing me backward.
6. March is fickle
Perhaps you have noticed or maybe you have not that the third month of the year is pretty fickle. March is a month of transition from cold temperatures into warmer weather. One day the temperature might be as high as 80 and the next it might be snowing or sleeting. Sometimes the temperature can fluctuate during one 24 hour period. You might leave home wearing a coat and by afternoon have to shed it because you are sweating. Charles Dickens said it best when he stated: "It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade".
7. The US often declares war in March
Since the Vietnam war, the United States has gone to war during March more than any other month. You can read a full listing by clicking on the following link.
8. The day the hemisphere is 50/50
On March 20, the sun shines on the equator for the Vernal Equinox, which gives the closest thing to a near 50-50 split between day and night.
9. The Lion and the Lamb
There is an old saying that if March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb and visa versa. This is supposed to indicate that if the third month starts out cold, it will end with warm weather and if it begins warm and sunny, the last days will be chilly. I have seen this play out but also have noted that March can and often does begin and end with the same type or weather.
10. A wise saying
Perhaps Lewis Grizzard sums up the third month the best of all as he said: "Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn".
About the Creator
Cheryl E Preston
Cheryl is a widow who enjoys writing about current events, soap spoilers and baby boomer nostalgia. Tips are greatly appreciated.
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.