{"id":53100,"date":"2022-03-01T10:52:23","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T15:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=53100"},"modified":"2025-02-24T13:41:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T18:41:49","slug":"reasons-to-celebrate-march-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/reasons-to-celebrate-march-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Reasons to Celebrate: March is\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

If ever there was a month dedicated to the celebration of life and people, it\u2019s March. For one side of the world, the fragile beginnings of Spring commences as life begins to sprout and nature turns a bit greener. The third month of the year is filled with appreciation days and festivals, uplifting the spirt and growing gratitude. For many, it\u2019s known for St. Patrick\u2019s Day and the elusive Mardi Gras (we\u2019ll explain shortly!) as well as losing just a bit of sleep!<\/p>\n

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It’s Women’s History Month<\/a>! It’s National Craft Month! It’s — well, let’s just say: Loss of an hour notwithstanding, there\u2019s plenty to celebrate in March.<\/p>\n

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\"March<\/p>\n

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Mardi Gras<\/h2>\n

Saying Mardi Gras takes place on March 1st is not entirely accurate. With a history stretching back to medieval Europe<\/a>, the colorful Carnival now celebrated by all of Louisiana is a one to three-month celebration each year! It starts on January 6th, Twelfth Night, and finishes out on Mardi Gras Day, March 1st. Whew, talk about a good time! King cake. Colorful beads. Wondrous masquerade masks. Parades. These are synonymous with the holiday that has far-reaching historical origins<\/a>. Notably, explorer Pierre Le Moyne D\u2019Iberville founded Louisiana on Mardi Gras Day in 1699, and they\u2019ve kept the party going! Fun fact: Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter, so since Easter can change Sundays between March 23rd-April 25th, the date of Mardi Gras Day can change, too!<\/p>\n

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A quick note to add: For many, Mardis Gras Day is known as Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season of fasting and reflection leading up to Easter. Others know it as “Fat Tuesday”, Donut Day\/Fastnacht Day, or Pancake Tuesday (Is this why March is Flour Month?). You get the idea — it’s a time to enjoy rich goodies before setting them aside.<\/p>\n

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\"March<\/p>\n

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Employee Appreciation Day<\/h2>\n

In 1995, \u201cThe Guru of Thank You\u201d Dr. Bob Nelson had an idea when he came out with his book 1,001 Ways to Reward Employees<\/em>: a day for employers to remember to show appreciation for their employees\u2019 good work. It became an official holiday to be celebrated on the first Friday in March and has gained traction with many companies ever since. Buy your team lunch, plan a \u201cbest of\u201d ceremony, or ensure you have a recognition program<\/a> that works!<\/p>\n

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\"March<\/p>\n

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Daylight Saving Time<\/h2>\n

Okay, we know most people don\u2019t enjoy losing an hour of sleep, but in 1918, there was a good reason for this policy to be implemented! The idea was to give more daylight hours to use after the shorter days of long winter months. Originally referred to as \u201cwar time<\/a>\u201d during WWII, Daylight Saving Time allowed soldiers to conserve power that would otherwise be spent keeping the lights on in the dark night. The history of the shift has, well, shifted over the years until 1966 when it became standard, still in the vein of conserving time and energy.<\/p>\n

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\"March<\/p>\n

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St. Patrick\u2019s Day<\/h2>\n

Green clothes. A nice pub with shiny dark wood. The smell of hops in the air. Oh, and green glitter. Lots and lots of green glitter! St. Paddy\u2019s Day<\/a>, as it\u2019s affectionately called, started in the 1600s in Ireland to recognize the death of the country\u2019s patron saint. As a feast day, it always falls on March 17th. It\u2019s a celebration of the Irish culture with parades, parties, food, and dancing. Did you know the shamrock was considered a sacred plant<\/a> and symbolizes the coming of Spring? Now you know the reason why it has become a symbol for the holiday.<\/p>\n

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March is…<\/h2>\n