The month of March includes the signs of both Pisces and Aries. Pisces, those people born during the first part of the month, are said to be highly creative and imaginative, as well as compassionate and loving. Aries, those born after the 20th of March and on into April, are smart, creative, deeply intuitive and optimistic. Idealists and dreamers, they are also passionate courageous and independent. Albert Einstein and Lady Gaga were born during March and share many of the characteristics under both signs. Some other celebrity birthdays that occur this month include Harry Belafonte, Ron Howard, Jean Harlow, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo, James Patterson, Reese Witherspoon, and William Shatner.
March babies are known for being happy, looking on the positive side of life and having good eyesight (scientifically documented.) Statistically, they are more likely than others to be high level executives because of a tendency to take on challenges, or to become airline pilots (because of good eyesight and other qualifying characteristics.)
The month itself is best known as Women’s History Month, which covers a lot of ground and includes observances both worthwhile and frivolous: Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig, American Red Cross, Berries & Cherries, Dolphin Awareness, Mad for Plaid, Celery, National Crafts, Music in Schools, National Grammar Day, Dentist’s Day, and National Pi Day occur this month.
If you didn’t find something to celebrate in that list, try World Candle day, World Compliment Day, National Peanut Butter Lovers Day, National Panda Day, Driving Instructors Day, National No Selfies Day, Something on a Stick Day. Weed Appreciation Day, International Day of Happiness, Purple Day, Spinach Day, Good Hair Day, the beginning of spring and St. Patrick’s Day.
In a more serious vein, there are some additional notable occurrences in history worthy of contemplating. In March of 1836, rebel settlers made their last stand at the Alamo. In 1913, Women’s Suffrage took off in Washington DC, It was in March of 1918 that the first case of Spanish flu in United States was reported. It had no actual connection to Spain and is believed to have originated from a type of bird flu. The virus spread rapidly, causing a pandemic that killed an estimated 650,000 people. It was responsible for 43,000 deaths among American soldiers during WWI – about half the total military casualties. At first appearing like other influenzas or congestion due to colds, the virus quickly destroyed lung tissue and death often occurred very soon after infection. The disease spread rapidly in towns and cities where homes had sand point wells and outdoor plumbing, making contamination through drinking water an apparent, but not the sole, cause of the rapid spread of the virus.
Today in Iowa, March gives us glimpses of spring and reminders of winter in unpredictable doses. We can almost count on a blizzard during the Iowa Girls Basketball Tournament. Gardeners, if alert to opportunities, can get seeds in the ground for early spinach, radishes and peas. The practice of moving to a new home in March persists mostly among farm families. It was time consuming hard work to prepare fields for the year’s crops with ox or horsepower, so when farms changed hands, it was necessarily early spring. That schedule once applied to city dwellers also, due partly to habit and partly because many city dwellers still relied on gardens for a considerable part of their food.
I haven’t lived in many different houses during my lifetime. Three with my parents and three after we were married, with a college dorm and a couple brief stays in apartments in between. All but one of those moves occurred during March. The most memorable was when my parents moved us into their dream home – the acreage at the southeast edge of Knoxville. It was March 9th, my baby sister’s second birthday. I would turn ten in April. A typical Pisces and an Aries, we were two little girls with our futures predicted in the stars.