March is Madness, but it's also National Reading Month, Women's History Month, and, of course, the start of Daylight Saving Time
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Welcome to March, also known as National Reading Month.
Sure, there are other milestones such as St. Patrick’s Day, a lunar eclipse, the beginning of March Madness, the start of Spring, the opening of baseball season, and the return of Daylight Saving Time to name a few.
But really, what could be more noteworthy than the month’s dedication to the written word?
And why, you may ask, is March so designated? Because March 2 is Dr. Seuss’s birthday, and it is with Dr. Seuss’s children’s books that many of us began our reading journeys.
So, how to celebrate? By reading, of course. While books are my favorite form of escapism, I actually spend more of my reading time with online newspapers and newsletters. I begin my day with lots of coffee and The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Political Wire as well as about a half-dozen science newsletters. Here on Substack, among my faves are:
Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson
Objectivity Rules by Ray Marcano
My list of favorite authors is far too long to include here, but no reading list would be complete—and no month of reading would be as entertaining—without these on your TBR pile:
For you science fiction fans out there, let me also direct your attention to this amazing group of writers and a series of short-story anthologies they’ve published. I’m honored that my most recent story, Scribbles From Space, will be included in the next edition.
March Milestones
The third month of the year, named after Mars, the Roman god of war, is among other things Women’s History Month, which has an inspiring origin story: It started as Women’s History Week, a project organized by a school district in Santa Rosa, California, in 1978 and grew into a nationwide event.
As part of Women’s History Month, we also celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. It’s “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.”
If you’re a subscriber, you should have received a fun Women’s History Month trivia quiz earlier this week. If you are new here, consider subscribing:
Other March highlights for your calendar include:
The Oscars
The 97th Annual Academy Awards will be televised live on ABC starting at 7 p.m. on Sunday March 2. The list of movies up for best picture are:
Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Perez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and Wicked. Here are the nominees in all categories:
Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 9. Remember to set your clock ahead by one hour. Despite its name, it really doesn’t save any daylight. Or as the old joke goes: “Only the government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket.”
Pi Day
It’s International Pi Day on March 14 (3.14). And in case you were wondering, here’s Pi to the first 100 digits:
3.1415926535 8979323846 2643383279 5028841971 6939937510 5820974944 5923078164 0628620899 8628034825 3421170679.
St. Patrick’s Day
Break out the green beer and celebrate the patron saint of Ireland on March 17. He’s famous for driving the snakes out of the Emerald Isles, which was a cool trick since there never were any in the first place. Also, he wasn’t Irish. He was born in Scotland.
March Madness
March Madness, also known as the national collegiate basketball championships, starts on March 18 in Dayton, Ohio, with the first two men’s teams squaring off to join the eventual 64-team field. The women begin their tournaments the next day. The final games will be in April.
Spring has Sprung
The Vernal Equinox is March 20, the official start of astronomical spring. There are actually two seasonal calendars. The one preferred by astronomers and calendar makers divides the year into four seasons demarcated by the longest day (the first day of summer) the shortest day (the first day of winter) and the two days of equal hours of daylight (the spring and fall equinoxes). Meteorologists, however, define the seasons by average temperatures, which makes the start of spring March 1. These guys will never agree on this, it seems.
Play Ball!
Major League Baseball begins on March 27 in the United States. Interestingly, though, the actual, official season starts outside of America on March 18-19 when the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs square off in Tokyo.
More March Dates to Note
March 1—Share a Smile Day. (Go ahead, it won’t crack your face.)
March 2—National Read Across America Day.
March 3—Yes! Finally, it’s here. The start of International Aardvark Week. (Aren’t they cute!)
March 4—Fat Tuesday. (Which is English for the French expression Mardi Gras.)
March 5—Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian celebration of Lent. Think of something you can give up until Easter. I’m willing to sacrifice for my sins. I’m forgoing escargot.
March 6 — National Oreo Cookie Day. (While it is widely accepted that the very best cookies are made with chocolate chips, Oreos do make the Top 10 list.)
March 7—Employee Appreciation Day.
March 8—National Proofreeding Day (yes, that was on purpose).
March 9—Amerigo Vespucci Day. (I have an entire column devoted to this. Look for it in your inbox later this month.)
March 10—Middle Name Pride Day. (I have more on this in an upcoming newsletter, too.)
March 11—National Organize Your Home Office Day. (That picture at the top of the newsletter? That’s my home office. It is very organized. I know what’s in every pile of paper on the floor by my desk.)
March 12—National Girl Scout Day (their Thin Mints also make the Top 10 Cookie List).
March 13—Open an umbrella indoors day. (Dare to be different.)
March 14—The first lunar eclipse of the year. It will start in the evening on March 13 and carry over past midnight. If skies are clear, the moon should appear reddish in color.
March 15—The Ides of March. It was on this day in 44 BCE that the self-declared “dictator for life” Julius Caesar was stabbed XXIII times, proving him right—he was dictator until the day he died. Another reason to be careful what you ask for.
March 16—National Freedom of Information Day.
March 17—In addition to St. Patrick’s Day it’s also the start of National Introverts Week. You don’t have to wear green if you’re an introvert and decide to stay home and read—unless you’re the Green Arrow or the Green Lantern (some of my favorite reading material).
March 18—National Awkward Moment Day. What was your most embarrassing moment? Share with your friends. Then get new friends.
March 19—National Let’s Laugh Day How? You can tell a joke. Like this one: Why do the French eat snails? Because they don’t like fast food.
March 20—Alien Abduction Day. (I once was abducted by space aliens. They made me wash my hands and eat my vegetables. As it happened, I was on the mothership.)
March 21—Big Bang Day. It was on this day 13.787 billion years ago that the universe was formed. Actually, nobody knows the exact date, or, for that matter, if the Big Bang theory is even accurate. But why let facts hold us back?
March 22—National Goof Off Day
March 23—It’s both Atheist Day and Puppy Day. Atheists may not believe in invisible supernatural deities, but they believe in puppies.
March 24—National Cocktail Day.
March 25—Equal Pay Day. A Time to raise awareness about—and fight against—income inequality.
March 26—Live Long and Prosper Day, in honor of Spock, originally portrayed by Leonard Nimoy who was born on this day in 1931.
March 27—National Joe Day. The idea is to enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend named Joe because Joe is a nickname for coffee. Or something. I don’t make this stuff up; I just report it.
March 28—Respect Your Cat Day. Especially if its name is Schrodinger. Is it alive? Or is it dead? Or both? Or neither?
March 29—International Mermaid Day. (Yep, my novel Strange Currents was all about mermaids. And murders, of course.)
March 30—National Pencil Day.
March 31—Crayola Crayon Day (in case you don’t have a pencil).
Letters
Dear J.C.
That photo at the start of this month’s newsletter, you said earlier that’s your home office, but is that Mona in the foreground? She looks like a cardboard cutout. I thought she was a real mannequin. Are there things you haven’t been telling us?
L. Rivers
Yes, this is my workspace, or at least part of it. Not seen are about a dozen bookcases elsewhere in my loft (the Missus says I’m a book hoarder). And, yes, that is a small cardboard standup of Mona that I take to book signings. Look more closely and you will see the real Mona in the far left-hand corner of the photo. She likes having her back to the wall.
Dear J.C.
Um, flamingos? I mean, I know you’re in Florida and all, but it looks like your office has quite a few of them. Is that where you got the inspiration for that flamingo stampede in Strange Currents?
A. Kitchner
It’s so weird when I start getting letters from characters in my novels, but, Abby, you know perfectly well what started that flamingo stampede in Key West. It was that lunatic with the shotgun. Thanks, again, for being there to help Alexander Strange out.
Dear J.C.
What do you mean characters in your books are writing letters to you? Have you gone over the edge?
A. Strange
I know you cover news of the weird, Alexander, but the world is round not flat. There is no edge.
Dear J.C.
That picture of your office has computers in the background, and it looks like this very same column that I’m reading right now is also on your computer. How can that be? Were you writing it while I was reading this? I’m so confused.
N.D. Tyson
It’s quantum stuff. Think Schrodinger’s cat.
Parting Shot
J.C. Bruce is a journalist and author of The Strange Files series of mysterious novels (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, other online booksellers, and at selected libraries). He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and Florida. His latest novel, Strange Timing, was recently named Book of the Year in the Royal Palm Literary Awards where it also won Gold Medals in the Sci-Fi and Thriller categories. When he’s not writing, he’s in training for the World Underwater Ping-Pong Championships.
Sponsored by TROPIC PRESS, publisher of The Strange Files Series of Mysterious Adventures.
