March “comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb”.
This month can have all four seasons!
There are holidays and observances every day of the month –
so many reasons to celebrate.
I’m not saying there should be cake very day, but I’m not saying there
shouldn’t be cake every day, either.
Monthly celebrations:
National Craft Month
The Richmond Public Library has loads of books on learning all kinds of crafts – search the library catalog using keywords of whatever interests you, or call your local branch for assistance. You can also get out your library card to access CreativeBug, one of the library’s premier databases which features online video tutorials for all kinds of creative projects.
National Nutrition Month
Check out The Future of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell – an insider’s look at the science, why we keep getting it wrong, and how to start getting it right. Or maybe Eat Smarter by Shawn Stevenson – a book about using the power of food to “upgrade” your health; or Food: What The Heck Should I Cook by Mark Hyman – for all of us who are staying home and cooking more.
March 1st
National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
Not to be confused with National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, which is April 2nd. Take a look at this history of peanuts and peanut butter from the National Peanut Board.
Baby Sleep Day
Take a look at the 25th anniversary edition of On Becoming Babywise – a guide to help give your infant the “gift of nighttime sleep”. Not to be confused with Sleep Awareness Week, which is March 14-20. For that, check out When Brains Dream by Antonio Zadra – a brand-new book exploring the science and mystery of sleep. zzzzzzzzzz…
March 2nd
Dr. Seuss’s Birthday
His real name was Theodore Seuss Geisel, known as Ted to friends and family. Check out Becoming Dr. Seuss by Brian Jay Jones, a biography of the American icon.
March 3rd
World Hearing Day
Check out Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World, a book about the stigma (and cost!) of hearing loss and treatment options.
March 4th
National Grammar Day
Check out The Grammarians, by Cathleen Schine – a comic novel about supersmart, language-obsessed twin sisters. Or maybe Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch – a linguistic look at how the digital world is transforming our language.
National Day of Unplugging
Check out How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell – an action plan to resist “techno-determinism” and 24/7 availability. Or maybe The Stars in our Pockets by Howard Axelrod – which asks, “why are we relying on devices instead of minds to provide our lives with content and meaning?”
March 6th
National Dentist’s Day
Check out The Excruciating History of Dentistry by James Wynbrant – a not-so-new book about “toothsome tales and oral oddities”. Or maybe try Joe Gould’s Teeth by Jill Lepore – a dark, spell-binding tale about a madman who believed he was a brilliant historian.
March 7th
National Cereal Day
Check out The Road to Wellville, a fictional account of the life of John Harvey Kellogg, founder of the behemoth cereal company that bears his name. Then check out a CNN article: Your Favorite Childhood Cereals, Ranked by Sugar.
March 8th
International Women’s Day, celebrated as part of Women’s History Month. Find more information, resources, fun facts from the Library of Congress’ Women’s History Month page, The National Women’s History Museum, and the National Women’s History Alliance. For a more local flavor, check out the Library of Virginia’s Virginia Women in History page.
March 10th
International Bagpipe Day
The International Bagpipe Organization has more information, including registration for their conference in June, and videos on making and playing bagpipes.
March 12th
Plant a Flower Day
The library has lots of books for budding gardeners. (do you see what I did there?) Check out Urban Flowers by Carolyn Dunster – about creating abundance in small city gardens, or Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden by Erin Benzakein – a book on growing, harvesting, and arranging seasonal blooms.
March 13th
National K-9 Veterans Day
A day set aside to honor and commemorate the service and sacrifices of American military and working dogs. Take a look at this article for more information. Then check out Sergeant Stubby by Ann Bausum – the story of a stray dog who became famous for his WWI heroics. Then take a look at Pixie and Brutus, a cartoon about a tiny, clueless kitten and a big, scarred, retired military dog.
Genealogy Day
The Library of Virginia has handouts called Genealogy: How to Begin and Genealogical Records at the Library of Virginia to get you started, as well as a listing of the Historical and Genealogical Societies in Virginia. They also have a series of low-cost virtual workshops planned for March.
March 14th
National Pi Day
Not to be confused with National Pie Day, which was celebrated on January 23rd. Pi Day is celebrated every March 14th, because … pi. Take a look at this yummy article which explains the differences. Then check out Happy Pi Day to You by Bonnie Worth – a children’s book featuring The Cat in the Hat.
Learn About Butterflies Day
Check out Butterfly People by William Leach – a chronicle of 19th century America’s fascination with butterflies. Then take a look at The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny – a novel about an irascible entomologist.
National Potato Chip Day
Check out Potato by Shawn Brennan – a children’s book of potato history, facts, and recipes. Then enjoy some Rt. 11 “unhurried” potato chips made in Virginia.
Daylight Savings Time
Time to “Spring Forward” an hour. Smartphones, computers, and tablets automatically re-set, but check your other clocks. Also, this is a good time to replace the batteries in your smoke alarms. The city of Richmond Department of Fire and Emergency Services provide free smoke alarms, batteries, and installation to city residents. Call (804) 646-1526 or click here for more information.
March 15th
The Ides of March
In Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar is given a warning (beware the Ides of March) before he is assassinated. Find out more about Caesar’s life in The Death of Caesar by Barry S. Strauss. Or, read the entire play “Julius Caesar”, courtesy of the Folger Shakespeare Library.
March 16th
Freedom of Information Day
Find out more about the Freedom of Information Act at FOIA.gov
National Panda Day
Check out Baby Panda Goes Wild by David Salomon – a children’s book of panda facts and up close and personal photographs. Then take a look at the “snow day” enjoyed by pandas at the National Zoo during a recent “snow day”.
March 17th
St. Patrick’s Day
Check out St. Patrick of Ireland by Philip Freeman, a biography of the saint who may or may not have driven all the snakes out of Ireland. March is also Irish American Heritage Month. Find more information on Irish Americans from the United States Census Bureau. Then take a look-see at RVA’s own Morgan Bullock, a world renowned Irish dancer and TikTok star.
March 19th
National Poultry Day
Check out Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same by Sloane Tanen, an adorable little book about the life and times of some chickens. Then ponder the idea of raising chickens with Self-sufficient Living – a book about raising chickens, growing veggies, and other facets of backyard farming. And, of course, there is Food52 Dynamite Chicken by Tyler Kord – 60 never-boring recipes.
March 20th
International Day of Happiness, Act Happy Week March 15-21, and Optimism Month
Read more about the history of this United Nations initiative for a day dedicated to happiness here. Then check out The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner – one grump’s search for the happiest places in the world. Then listen to this delightful NPR story about a 19th century children’s author named Favell Lee Mortimer, who, without ever leaving home, penned a series of “field guides” to foreign lands and had nothing good to say. Then take a look at the booklist Cockeyed Optimism, nonfiction titles to help you find your own optimistic outlook.
First Day of Spring
Check out a pair of picture books – The Spring Book by Todd Parr, which celebrates all the joys and wonders that the Spring season brings; and Spring Stinks by Ryan T. Higgins, where a cheerful rabbit and a grumpy bear realize that Spring stinks.
March 21st
International Day of Forests
Check out Greenwood by Michael Christie – a novel spanning generations of a timber family. Or if you want a haunting, suspenseful thriller, try A Crooked Tree by Una Mannion. Or, you’d prefer a scholarly and scientific examination of trees, check out Age of Wood by Roland Ennos.
World Poetry Day
Read the text and watch the video of America’s Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb“. Or check out When the Light of the World was Subdued, an anthology of Native nations poetry, edited by American Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. Or, call your library for more poetry recommendations.
March 22nd
World Water Day
Check out Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui – a lyrical look at our love affair with water. Then join the UN’s worldwide water conversation #Water2me or unwater@un.org.
March 23rd
American Diabetes Alert Day
Get information from the American Diabetes Association. Then check out Healthy at Last by Eric Adams – a plant-based approach to preventing and reversing diabetes, or The Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet by Donald Hensrud.
March 24th
National Cocktail Day
Not be to be confused with National Fruit Cocktail Day, which is May 13th. Check out the booklist Celebrate National Cocktail Day for cocktail (and mocktail) inspiration.
March 25th
International Waffle Day
Not to be confused with National Waffle Day, which is August 21st. But any day can be waffle day! Did you know that FEMA (The Federal Emergency Management Agency) uses an informal disaster metric called the Waffle House Index? Find more information about it here.
Tolkien Reading Day
This date is the when the Ring was destroyed, completing Frodo’s quest and vanquishing Sauron. The 2021 theme is Hope and Courage, or read your favorite passages. The Tolkien Society has more information.
March 26th
National Spinach Day
Check out the DVD of the movie Popeye. Or head over to RPL’s “premium database” Hoopla to find classic “Popeye” comics.
Live Long and Prosper Day – a day to do something that will make you happier, healthier, or increase your prosperity. Check out Leonard: My Fifty-year Friendship With a Remarkable Man by William Shatner, a biography of the man who made the Vulcan blessing famous.
March 28th
Respect Your Cat Day
Check out What Cats Want by Yuki Hattori, an illustrated guide for truly understanding your cat. Or maybe Girls and Their Cats by BriAnne Wills, which explodes the “crazy cat lady” myth.
March 29th
National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day
(not to be confused with Small Business Saturday, which is November 27th). Keep your hard-earned dollars in your community. Shop small. Shop local.
March 30th
Take a Walk in the Park Day
Did you know that the Richmond Public Library’s main branch has a “pocket park” tucked in behind the library? Take a look at this article for information on how the park was redesigned in 1998.
