| March 2008 |
March 1 - 31
National Women’s History Month.
Established to celebrate the accomplishments of women and their contributions to history.
|
|
March 6
Independence Day : Ghana.
Celebration of independence from Britain in 1957.
- Maha Shivaratri (Shiva’s Nights) : Hindu.
Festival honoring Shiva, the god of destruction--celebrates his wedding anniversary and the night of his celestial dance.
|
|
March 8
International Women’s Day.
Celebration to honor women’s lives and work.
|
|
March 14
- Vaisakhi (New Year) : Sikh.
Celebration of the Sikh new year of 540 based on the Nanakshahi calendar and of the birth of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak.
|
|
March 15
Anniversary of the 1848-49 Revolution : Hungary.
Commemorates the bloodless Revolution of 1848 and the struggle for independence from Austrian rule, which was re-imposed in 1849.
|
|
March 16
- Palm Sunday : Christian.
Celebrates Jesus’ last entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week for Christians.
|
|
March 17
St. Patrick’s Day : Ireland.
Commemorates the day considered to be the day of St. Patrick’s death in 493 C.E. The day is a public holiday in Ireland and is celebrated throughout the world by people of Irish descent.
|
|
March 20
Independence Day : Tunisia.
Commemorates independence from France in 1956.
- Vernal Equinox (Shunbun-no-hi) : Japan, Shinto.
Celebrates the beginning of spring and is a public holiday in Japan. Like on the Autumnal Equinox, prayers are offered to ancestors at altars in the home.
No Ruz (New Year) : Iran, Afghanistan.
Celebration of the Persian new year of 1387, which coincides with the beginning of spring. Celebrated two days prior to No Ruz and for thirteen days afterwards.
- Maulid an-Nabi (Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday) : Islam.
Anniversary of the birth of the prophet in 570 C.E.
- Maundy Thursday : Christian.
Commemorates the institution of the Last Supper or Eucharist by Jesus.
|
|
March 21
- Naw Ruz (New Year) : Baha’i.
Beginning of the new year for Baha’is. Preceded by a 19-day period of fasting, prayer, and meditation.
- Naw Ruz (New Year): Zoroastrian.
Beginning of the Zoroastrian new year, which is celebrated at the time of the vernal equinox.
Human Rights Day : South Africa.
Anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960. Commemorates those killed and wounded during the anti-pass demonstration at Sharpeville and others who lost their lives in the struggle against apartheid.
- Purim (Feast of Lots) : Jewish.
Commemorates the events in Persia in the 5th Century B.C.E. which resulted in Queen Esther’s saving the Jewish people from destruction.
- Good Friday : Christian.
Commemorates the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.
|
|
March 21 - 22
- Holi : Hindu.
Two-day spring holiday; celebrated throughout India with the lighting of bonfires and throwing water and colored powder on friends.
|
|
March 23
Republic Day : Pakistan.
Celebration of the resolution calling for a separate Muslim homeland in 1940 and the declaration of the republic in 1956.
- Easter : Christian.
Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.
|
|
March 24
- Easter Monday : Christian.
The Monday following Easter Sunday. Celebrated as a public holiday in many European countries.
|
|
March 25
Independence Day : Greece.
Commemorates the beginning of the Greek struggle for independence from Turkish rule in 1821.
- The Annunciation : Christian.
Commemorates the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus.
|
|
March 26
National Day : Bangladesh.
Celebration of declaration of independence from Pakistan in 1971.
- Birthday of Prophet Zarathushtra (Zoroaster): Zoroastrian.
Day set aside to for the celebration of the birth of the Persian prophet Zarathustra or Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism. Holiday also know as the Great Naw Ruz--the sixth day in the celebration of the Zoroastrian new year.
|
