A couple weeks ago, it was the first of March and Super Tuesday in Vermont, and seemed to have "come in like a lion". We The People, cast our preliminary ballots and I am still reeling from the results. A surreal tragicomedy seems to be playing out before our eyes and apparently, our salvation rests on an Independent Batman to subdue the reckless Republican thug, the Joker. I can only conclude, that all of the work that has been done to secure our civil and inalienable rights, in the name of humanity, are being ridiculed, and challenged in a way that I never dreamed I would see. It seems fitting that Super Tuesday would occur in March, a month named for Mars - the Roman God of War.
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| "Mars, God of War" by Velázquez |
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| Lear Charles Hutton, "A Glimpse Of The Fairies" |
This month is steeped in old sayings of folklore, but also seem to incorporate real life - and the 'twixt shall meet - as lore and literature seem frequently indistinguishable. The result is many short yarns, anecdotes and proverbs which seem to mix nature, fantasy and reality. Here are some fabulous (and archaic) examples old lore pertaining to the month of March, from the Encyclopedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World by Cora Linn Daniels, C. M. Stevans:
- If a death occurs on the 22nd of March, 2 more will follow at once in a neighborhood.
- A bushel of March dust is worth a king’s ransom.
- If at crescent moon in March the weather is foggy it is believed a sign of heavy thundershowers and hailstorms in the future.
- If March comes in with adder’s head, it goes out with a peacock’s tail.
- The first three days of March are unlucky.
- The Greek believed that the March sun makes people black. To prevent this, take a thread of white and a thread of red silk, twist them together and tie it around your arm, leg or neck.
- “When March the twenty-first is past, Just watch the silvery moon, And when you see it full and round, Know Easter’ll be here soon.”
- “The first the greedy glutton slays, The fourth cuts short the drunkard days.”
- One should never marry in March, save for one day: The 27th, otherwise it is very unlucky. To be married on the 27th day, St. John of Egypt will bless the marriage with kindness and love until the very end. They will obtain great wealth and have many rosy-cheeked children.
- Only 8 other days are lucky in March: 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 16, 28 and 29.
- Astronomers say that the 1st of August, the 4th of September and the 11th of March are the most injurious to Let Blood.
- On the first day of March, before the storks return from their migration from the South, women should twist two different yarns together and then with her hands held behind her back, attempt to pass it through a large eye of a needle. She must then ask who her enemies are. If one is named, she must visualize sewing up the mouth of that person so that no further ill may be spoken. This is repeated for each known enemy. When the ritual ends, she is to then cut the cords into equal lengths to tie around each family member until the storks return from the South. Upon seeing the first stork, the ties are removed and thrown out of doors so they storks may take them to help build their nests.
- “In January if the sun appear, March and April pay full dear.”
- Girls can predict their future husband, in March, with the help of their shoes! At bed time, they should place the shoes to form the letter “T” and say out loud, “Hoping this night my true love to see, I placed my shoes in the form of a T.” If the chant is successful, she will dream of her love.
- In Great Britain and England, the month of March borrows from three days of April:
“The first it shall be wind and weet,
The next it shall be snow and sleet,
The third it shall be sic and freeze,
Shall gar the birds and stick to the trees.”
- There is an ancient belief that people dreaded the March sun. In Germany, “one had better be bitten by a snake than feel the sun in March.”
- March was dedicated by the old Saxons to the goddess Rhoedea and therefore called “Rhed Month”, Illiyd-Monath, was another name by which it was known.
- After the death of Christ, March has been held with great reverence as Lent is observed.
- In Macedonia, March is the time of year when fleas begin to come into the home. The first flea found should be caught and bundled in a nettle leaf to take to an abandoned house. Here the flea is thrown onto the floor and will result in the remaining fleas to follow.
- Winds in March and rain in April promise great blessings in May.
- If at crescent moon in March the weather is very foggy it is believed a sign of heavy thundershowers and hailstorms in the near future.
- Every year in March, the ancient Romans held a ceremony in honor of the God of War, Mars. It was believed that this would ensure that the city would be peaceful for the remaining year.
- A damp rotten March gives sorrow to Farmers.
- When the cat lies in the sun in February, it will creep behind the stove in March.
- If the March wind blows across the bed, you will sleep well all the rest of the year.
- March grass never did good.
- When March is like April, April will be like March.
- Never speak ill of March.
- March is considered to be an unlucky month, but the first snow that comes in that month, is good for sore eyes if taken after the sun has shone on it.
- February makes a bridge, March breaks it.
- When the North wind does not blow in February, it will blow in March.
- In Bulgaria, March honors women, and it is believed to be a female month. It is called “Mother March”, and women reign over their husbands. They do not seek employment during this month, as the Goddess may not send rain which would result in lightening which would set fire to the home.
....that the earliest possible Easter happened in March 1818 and will not occur again until 2285?
....the Planet Uranus was discovered on March 13, 1781, by astronomer William Herschel. It is the seventh planet from the Sun. It was originally not thought to be a planet, as it moved so slowly that scientists assumed it to be a star.
....playing cards were first mentioned in literature, on March 23rd of 1377, in Florence, Italy.
....the multi-talented artist and scientist, Goethe died on March 22, 1832 at the age of 83. His last words were, "More light!"
...HRH Queen Elizabeth I, died on March 24, 1603. She was 70 years old.
...on March 28th, in the United States, the first washing machine was patented in 1767.
...in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris on March 31st.
From the 2016 Farmer’s Almanac:
March is the month of the Full Worm Moon.
The Full Worm Moon was given its name by the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.
At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. In some regions, this is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.
New Moon: March 8, 8:54 P.M.
First Quarter: March 15, 1:03 P.M.
Full Moon: March 23, 8:01 A.M.
Last Quarter: March 31, 11:17 A.M.
Daffodils are the birthday flowers for those born in the month of March. They are a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings, and are frequently associated with Easter. Always give a bunch to ensure happiness. The Daffodil is also called Narcissus, which also means "narcissism", which comes from the word "narke, " and in Greek antiquity, meant deep sleep, stupor or numbness. Narke is also the root of the word "narcotic" as the bulbs actually contain a paralyzing alkaloid which could lead to death if eaten. "Never give a single daffodil, as bringing a single daffodil into the house will bring misfortune."
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Famous People ~ March Birthdays
March 1, 1904- Glenn Miller, big bandleader
March 1, 1926, Pete Rozelle, baseball commissioner
March 1, 1935- Robert Conrad, actor
March 1, 1954- Ron Howard, actor, director, "Opie" on Tv series "Andy Griffith"
March 1, 1974- Mark-Paul Gosselaar, actor, "Zack" on Tv series "Saved by the Bell"
March 2, 1779- Joel Roberts Poinsett, American Ambassador to Mexico brought Poinsettias to America.
March 2, 1904 - Theodore Seuss Geisel, "Dr. Seuss"
March 2, 1917- Desi Arnaz- "Ricky Ricardo" on "I Love Lucy"
March 2, 1931- Mikhail Gorbachev, Leader of USSR
March 2, 1950- Karen Carpenter, singer "We've Only Just Begun"
March 2, 1962- Jon Bon Jovi, singer, actor
March 3, 1847- Alexander Graham Bell, invented the telephone
March 3, 1920 - James Doohan, actor, "Scotty" on Tv Series and movies "Star Trek"
March 3, 1962- Jackie Joiner-Kersee, Olympic gold medalist
March 4, 1888- Knute Rockne, Notre Dame's "Fighting Irish" football coach
March 5, 1908- Rex Harrison, actor
March 5, 1936- Dean Stockwell, actor
March 5, 1958- Andy Gibb, member of "Beegees" band
March 5, 1989- Jake Lloyd, actor "Anakin Skywalker" in "Star Wars: Phantom Menace"
March 6, 1475- Michelangelo, Renaissance painter
March 6, 1906- Lou Costello, comedian, of Abbott and Costello
March 6, 1923- Ed McMahon, "Johnny Carson Tonight Show"
March 6, 1926- Alan Greenspan, Chairman of Federal Reserve
March 6, 1945- Rob Reiner, actor, director
March 6, 1959- Tom Arnold, actor
March 6, 1972- Shaquille O'Neal, NBA star
March 7, 1934- Willard Scott, NBC weatherman
March 8, 1945- Mickey Dolenz, singer, actor, "Mickey" of the "Monkees"
March 9, 1934- Yuri Gagarin, Russian astronaut, first man in space
March 9, 1943- Bobby Fischer, World Chess champion
March 9, 1971- Emmanuel Lewis, ""Webster" of TV series
March 10, 1928- James Earl Ray, assassinated Martin Luther King Jr.
March 10, 1940 Chuck Norris, martial arts, "Walker" in Tv series "Walker, Texas Ranger"
March 10, 1957- Osama BIn Laden, Al Queda terrorist leader
March 10, 1958- Sharon Stone, actress, "Basic Instinct"
March 10, 1983- Carrie Underwood, American Idol Winner
March 11, 1903- Lawrence Welk, bandleader
March 11, 1934- Sam Donaldson, TV Journalist
March 12, 1881- Kemmel Ataturk, Turkish leader
March 12, 1923- Wally Schirra, astronaut
March 12, 1941- Barbara Feldon, actress
March 12, 1946- Liza Minnelli, actress, singer
March 12, 1948- James Taylor, singer
March 12, 1962- Darryl Strawberry, baseball player
March 13, 1855- Percival Lowell, astronomer
March 13, 1911- L. Ron Hubbard, science fiction writer
March 13, 1939- Neil Sedaka, singer, songwriter
March 14, 1864- Casey Jones, railroad engineer
March 14, 1879- Albert Einstein, physicist
March 14, 1912- Les Brown, and his "Band of Renown"
March 14, 1920- Hank Ketcham, cartoonist, created "Dennis the Menace"
March 14, 1928- Frank Borman, astronaut, airline executive
March 14, 1933 -Michael Caine, actor
March 14, 1947- Billy Crystal, actor, comedian
March 15, 1767- Andrew Jackson, 7th U.S. President(1829-1837), hero of the War of 1812
March 15, 1933- Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice
March 15, 1935- Judd Hirsch, actor, TV series "Taxi"
March 15, 1941- Mike Love, singer, musician, Beach Boys
March 15, 1961- Fabio, actor, model
March 15, 1975- Eva Longoria, actress, TvVseries "Desperate Housewives"
March 16, 1751- James Madison, 4th U.S President(1809-1817)
March 16, 1822- Rosa Bonheur, French painter
March 16, 1906- Henny Youngman, comedian
March 16, 1912- Pat Nixon, Wife of Richard M. Nixon, First Lady
March 16, 1926- Jerry Lewis, actor, comedian
March 16, 1927- Daniel Patrick Moynihan, senator, diplomat
March 16, 1949- Erik Estrada, actor
March 17, 1902- Bobby Jones, golfer
March 17, 1919- Nat "King" Cole, singer
March 17, 1938- Rudolf Nureyev, Russian ballet dancer
March 17, 1945- Tony Dow, actor, brother "Wallie" on Tv series "Leave it to Beaver"
March 17, 1949 -Patrick Duffy, actor "Bobby Ewing" on Tv Series "Dallas"
March 17, 1951- Kurt Russell, actor
March 17, 1964- Rob Lowe, actor
March 18, 1782 -John C. Calhoun, statesman, vice president
March 18, 1837- Grover Cleveland, 22d and 24th U.S. President(1885-1889, 1893-1897)
March 18, 1869- Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister
March 18, 1926- Peter Graves, actor
March 18, 1939- Charley Pride, singer
March 18, 1941- Wilson Pickett, singer, songwriter
March 18, 1963- Vanessa Williams, singer, actress
March 18, 1964- Bonnie Blair, Olympic speedskating champion
March 18, 1970- Queen Latifah, rap singer, actress
March 19, 1589 -William Bradford, Pilgrim/Governor of Plymouth Colony
March 19, 1813- David Livingstone, physician, explorer
March 19, 1848- Wyatt Earp, Wild West lawman
March 19, 1891- Earl Warren, chief justice of the Supreme Court
March 19, 1906 -Adolf Eichmann, Nazi leader
March 19, 1936- Ursula Andress, actress
March 19, 1947- Glenn Close, actress
March 19, 1955- Bruce Willis, actor
March 20, 1906- Ozzie Nelson, Actor, "The Nelsons"
March 20, 1922- Carl Reiner, actor, comedian
March 20, 1928 -Fred Rogers, actor Children's show "Mr. Rogers"
March 20, 1931- Hal Linden, actor, singer
March 20, 1939- Brian Mulroney, Canadian Prime Minister
March 20, 1948- Bobby Orr, hockey player
March 20, 1957- Spike Lee, director, filmmaker
March 21, 1685- Johann Sebastian Bach, musical composer
March 21, 1910- Julio Gallo, California wine vintner
March 21, 1944- Timothy Dalton, actor
March 21, 1962- Matthew Broderick, actor
March 21, 1962- Rosie O'Donnell, TV personality, actress
March 22, 1887- Chico Marx of Marx Brothers
March 22, 1913- Karl Malden, actor
March 22, 1919- Werner Klemperner, actor
March 22, 1923- Marcel Marceau, mime
March 22, 1930- Pat Robertson, evangelist, presidential candidate
March 22, 1931- William Shatner, actor James T. Kirk, on Srar Trek
March 22, 1934- Orrin Hatch, senator
March 22, 1943- George Benson, singer, musician
March 22, 1948- Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer
March 22, 1952- Bob Costas, sportscaster
March 22, 1959- Matthew Modine, actor
March 23, 1904- Joan Crawford, Oscar winning actress
March 23, 1900- Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst
March 23, 1912- Werner von Braun, rocket pioneer, scientist
March 23, 1929- Roger Bannister, runner, first person to break 4-minute mile
March 23, 1953- Louie Anderson, comedian, actor
March 23, 1953- Chaka Khan, singer
March 24, 1855- Andrew Mellon, financier, industrialist
March 24, 1874- Harry Houdini, magician
March 24, 1893- George Sisler, baseball player
March 24, 1930- Steve McQueen, actor
March 24, 1970- Lara Flynn Boyle, actress
March 24, 1976- Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts All Star Quarterback
March 25, 1871- Gutzon Borglum, sculpted Mt. Rushmore
March 25, 1934- Gloria Steinem, author
March 25, 1942- Aretha Franklin, singer
March 25, 1922- Paul Michael Glaser, actor, director
March 25, 1947- Elton John, singer, songwriter, musician
March 25, 1965- Sarah Jessica Parker, actress
March 26, 1874- Robert Frost, poet
March 26, 1911- Tennessee Williams, playwright
March 26, 1930- Sandra Day O'Connor, Supreme Court justice
March 26, 1931- Leonard Nimoy, actor, director, "Spock" in "Star Trek"
March 26, 1934- Alan Arkin, actor
March 26, 1939- James Caan, actor
March 26, 1944- Diana Ross, singer, actress
March 26, 1950- Martin Short, actor, comedian
March 26, 1960- Marcus Allen, NFL running back, sportscaster
March 26, 1962- John Stockton, basketball player
March 27, 1845- Wilhelm Roentgen, scientist, discovered X-rays
March 27, 1899- Gloria Swanson, actress
March 27, 1931- David Janssen, actor, "The Fugitive"
March 27, 1940- Cale Yarborough, auto racer
March 27, 1963- Randall Cunningham, NFL Quarterback
March 27, 1963- Quentin Tarantino, actor, director
March 27, 1970- Mariah Carey, singer
March 28, 1899- August Anheuser Busch Jr., Beer baron
March 28, 1921- Dirk Bogarde, actor
March 28, 1944- Ken Howard, actor
March 28, 1955- Reba McEntire, country western singer
March 28, 1981- Julia Stiles, actress
March 29, 1790- John Tyler, 10th U.S. President (1841-1845)
March 29, 1867- Cy Young, baseball pitcher
March 29, 1916- Eugene McCarthy, senator, presidential nominee
March 29, 1918- Pearl Bailey, singer, entertainer
March 29, 1918- Sam Walton, founded Wal-Mart
March 29, 1945- Walt Frazier, basketball player
March 29, 1955- Earl Campbell, football player
March 29, 1963- M. C. Hammer, rap singer
March 29, 1964- Elle MacPherson, actress, super model
March 29, 1968- Lucy Lawless, actress
March 29, 1976- Jennifer Capriati, tennis player
March 30, 1853 Vincent van Gogh, painter
March 30, -1929 Richard Dysart, actor
March 30, 1930- John Astin, actor
March 30, 1937- Warren Beatty, actor, director
March 30, 1945- Eric Clapton, musician, singer, songwriter
March 30, 1957- Paul Reiser, actor
March 30, 1962- M.C. Hammer, rapper
March 30, 1968- Celine Dion, singer
March 31, 1596- René Descartes, philosopher, mathematician
March 31, 1732- Franz Joseph Haydn, composer
March 31, 1811 - German chemist Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen, invented the Bunsen Burner
March 31, 1878- Jack Johnson, is Afro-American boxer to win heavyweight crown
March 31, 1927- Cesar Chavez, labor leader
March 31, 1928- Gordie Howe, hockey player
March 31, 1929- Liz Claiborne, fashion designer
March 31, 1932- John Jakes, author
March 31, 1934- Shirley Jones, actress, singer
March 31, 1935- Herb Albert, musician
March 31, 1935- Richard Chamberlain, actor
March 31, 1943- Christopher Walken, actor
March 31, 1948 -Al Gore Jr., vice president , presidential candidate
March 31, 1948- Rhea Perlman, actress
What is the IDES OF MARCH?
(Source: history.com)
44 B.C. - Julius Caesar is murdered
"Julius Caesar, the”dictator for life”of the Roman Empire, is murdered by his own senators at a meeting in a hall next to Pompey’s Theatre. The conspiracy against Caesar encompassed as many as sixty noblemen, including Caesar’s own protege, Marcus Brutus.
Caesar was scheduled to leave Rome to fight in a war on March 18 and had appointed loyal members of his army to rule the Empire in his absence. The Republican senators, already chafing at having to abide by Caesar’s decrees, were particularly angry about the prospect of taking orders from Caesar’s underlings. Cassius Longinus started the plot against the dictator, quickly getting his brother-in-law Marcus Brutus to join.
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Caesar should have been well aware that many of the senators hated him, but he dismissed his security force not long before his assassination. Reportedly, Caesar was handed a warning note as he entered the senate meeting that day but did not read it. After he entered the hall, Caesar was surrounded by senators holding daggers. Servilius Casca struck the first blow, hitting Caesar in the neck and drawing blood. The other senators all joined in, stabbing him repeatedly about the head.
Marcus Brutus wounded Caesar in the groin and Caesar is said to have remarked in Greek, “You, too, my child?” In the aftermath of the assassination, Antony attempted to carry out Caesar’s legacy. However, Caesar’s will left Octavian in charge as his adopted son. Cassius and Brutus tried to rally a Republican army and Brutus even issued coins celebrating the assassination, known as the Ides of March. Octavian vowed revenge against the assassins, two years later Cassius and Brutus committed suicide after learning that Octavian’s forces had defeated theirs at the Battle of Philippa in Greece.
Antony took his armies east, where he hooked up with Caesar’s old paramour, Cleopatra. Octavian and Antony fought for many years until Octavian prevailed. In 30 B.C., Antony committed suicide. Octavian, later known as Augustus, ruled the Roman Empire for many more years."
Image Credits: all images were found on Google images and Pinterest
Famous Birthdays: holidayinsights.com
Ides of March - history.com
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