SC - March Holidays of Interest

Tue Mar 16 10:45:22 PST 1999

In addition to St. Patrick's Day, here are some other March holidays to
celebrate, (through the 18th, anyway!)  
Mistress Christianna MacGrain

MARCH 1
St. David's Feast Day (4th Cent)  Patron Saint of Wales & Poets. His
symbol is the leek, probably because he ate a lot of leeks as part of his
vegetarian diet.  He established many monasteries and  performed some
miracles. This date commemorates a Welsh victory over the English, when
they wore leeks in their hats to identify their countrymen.
Whuppity Scoorie Day - Scotland - Church bells start ringing at 6am on
March 1st after being silent all winter long. Children race around the
church with string attached to a paper ball, whirling them at other
racers.  Origins of this custom are lost, but may be to drive out winter
and evil spirits.
MAR 10
St. Kessog's Feast Day (?) Patron Saint of Scotland (prior to St. Andrew)
AKA MacKessog, he was an Irish prince who restored two dead friends to
life after a swimming accident. He traveled to Scotland as a missionary,
and established Monk's Island in Loch Lommond. 
MAR 15
Ides of March (Assassination of Caesar - 44 BCE) According to the Roman
Calendar, the Ides were on the 15th day of March, May, July, and October,
and on the 13th day of any other month.  
Reindeer Driving Competition* - Finland - the Lapp people have races on
cross-country skis to herd 100 reindeer over a 2 km course.
MAR 16
Purim* - Jewish - "The Feast of Lots".  Only a Jew named Mordechai
refused to bow to Haman, wicked advisor to King Ahasuerus of Persia, and
Haman wanted to kill the Jews.  He convinced the king to draw a lot (or
pur) to decide the day of slaughter.  But the king's beautiful queen,
Esther, who was Jewish, asked him to save her people, and the king
remembered that Mordechai had warned him of a plot on his life.  He
proclaimed the Jews would live, and hanged Haman on the gallows he had
built for Mordechai.  On this day the Book of Esther is read, and people
drown out every mention of Haman with noisemakers and stomping feet.
Masks and costumes are worn, especially by companies of amateur actors
called Purim Shpieler (Purim Players), who act out the Purim story.
Triangular cakes filled with poppyseed or fruit are served called Haman
Taschen.  ('Purim' also means 'dice'.)
Festival of Dionysius - Ancient Greece - Celebrated every 3 years, this
was the festival of the God of Wine.  Noted for its excesses, people
would ask the Gods for as many years of life as goblets of wine they
could drink during the celebration.  (See April 23rd, October 3rd)
Bacchanalia - Ancient Rome - This Roman version of the Wine Festival was
celebrated until 186 BCE, when it was banned.  
Death of Nero ( 37 AD)  Emperor of Rome, some would say the worst.  
MAR 17
Liberalia  - Ancient Rome - Celebrated the Four Great Freedoms of the
Roman people; Freedom from Evil, Burdens, Care, and Youthful Folly.  
St. Joseph of Arimathea's Feast Day (1st Cent) Patron Saint of Cemetery
Keepers, Pallbearers, Tin Miners, and Undertakers. A wealthy lawyer,
Joseph was converted and supplied his own tomb for Christ's burial. He
probably accompanied St. Mary Magdalene to France, then became the 1st
apostle to Britain, taking with him the Holy Grail. He established the
church at Glastonbury, Somerset. 
St. Patrick's Feast Day (493 or 461) Patron Saint of Ireland (w/St.
Bridget & St. Columbkille), Mann, and Nigeria; Invoked against Snakes.
Traditions on his feast day include driving the livestock out into the
pastures for the summer, and planting potatoes. "St. Patrick turns the
warm side of the stone uppermost" is an old Irish saying for his day.
Born in 387 (or 385) in England to parents that were Roman citizens of
Breton Celtic origins; taken to Ireland by pirates at 16; escaped; sent
back in 432 as a Bishop; drove the snakes (evil) from Ireland; supposedly
used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity; raised 33 people from the
dead, caused the earth to swallow a heathen. Today the shamrock is used
as the symbol of Ireland, and of Patrick on his day. (He wasn't Irish, he
was Celtic-Roman. His name wasn't Patrick, it was Succat or Maewyn, he
wasn't the first missionary to Ireland, [that was St. Palladius], and
there were never any snakes in Ireland to begin with. Aside from that,
everything we know about him is true.)
St. Gertrude of Nivelles' Feast Day (7th Cent) Patron Saint of Cats,
Gardeners, and Travelers, Invoked against Mice. Water from the well and
cakes baked in the convent of this Flemish nun are said to repel vermin.
Famous for her hospitality to strangers, Belgians still call a drink for
the road "St. Gertrude's cup". 
MAR 18
Sheelah-na-Gig Day - Celtic - Irish Fertility Goddess

>From "366 Days of Celebrations, or, A Year Full of Reasons to Throw A
Party"  by Christine Seelye-King

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