March arrives each year as a month of contradictions. It’s part winter, part spring, steeped in ancient history alongside modern traditions. It’s a time of renewal, folklore, sports frenzy and cultural quirks.
With the vernal equinox on March 20, day and night are nearly equal in length. While the month marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere it signals the start of fall, bringing cooler weather and falling leaves.
March has symbolized rebirth since ancient times. In the earliest Roman calendar, it was the first month of the year, when farmers returned to their fields and soldiers to battle. The month’s name comes from Mars, the Roman god of war, whose season began as the frost melted and life restarted.
March’s birth flower is the daffodil, long associated with hope and good fortune, as well as rebirth and renewal, and linked to Greek mythology through the legend of Narcissus.
Modern March is filled with notable events, including International Women’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and the spectacle of March Madness.
It’s also somewhat unsurprising that March is one of the most popular months for vasectomies, as recovery often overlaps with time spent on the couch, ice packs in place, watching basketball unfold on the big screen.