1 Mar
St. David's Day
The feast day of Saint David, patron saint of Wales. The date was declared a national day of celebration within Wales in the 18th century and ever since has been a celebration of Welshness throughout the UK and beyond.
1 Mar
Holi
Also called the Festival of Colours, Holi is a spring festival lasting between one and five days. Bonfires are lit at night to signify burning Holika and coloured powders and dyes are thrown over people. A special drink is prepared called thandai which can be laced with bhang, which actually contains small amounts of marijuana. People invite each other to their houses for feasts and celebrations. Rangapanchami occurs a few days later, marking the end of festivities involving colours.
2 Mar
Hola Mahalla/Mohalla
This festival was introduced in India in 1680 by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, as an alternative to the Hindu festival of Holi — it occurs one day after Holi. Traditionally, the festival includes competitive displays of swordsmanship, horsemanship, archery and wrestling, as well as displays of weaponry and symposia of poetry.
3 Mar
Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Milad un Nabi) (Shia)
Day on which Shia Muslims commemorate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. In the Indian subcontinent and some Arab countries the celebration starts with readings from the Qur'an, followed by poetry and songs in praise of the Prophet. In some big cities of the Islamic world the day is marked by processions and flag waving under large decorations of lights.
14 Mar
Mothering Sunday
Also known as Simnel Sunday, Mothering Sunday is derived from the Christian festival of Mid-Lent Sunday. However, it is now more commonly known as Mother's Day, having lost most of its associations with its Christian origins. Traditionally, on this Sunday Christians would visit their "mother church" and take gifts to their mothers, in particular simnel cake.
16 Mar
Varsha-Pratipada (Hindu Spring New Year)
A new year festival, marking the first day of Chaitra (the first month of the Hindu lunar year), and, as such, is regarded as an auspicious day for starting any new endeavour. Note that Divali, which occurs in the autumn, is also a new year festival.
17 Mar
St. Patrick's Day
The feast day of Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. The day is a national holiday in the Republic of Ireland, but is also celebrated by Irish people worldwide.
21 Mar
Naw Ruz (New Year)
New Years' Day in the Bahá'í faith. Naw-Ruz occurs on the day of the vernal equinox and is one of the nine Bahá'í holy days on which work is suspended. It marks the end of the nineteen day fast that concludes the old year.
21 Mar
Shubun No Hi (Higan)
Japanese festival marking the Spring Equinox. Its full name is Higan No Chi-Nichi and, as with a similar festival marking the autumn equinox, harmony and balance are the themes. It is traditional for sutras to be recited and many Japanese visit their family tombs to pay respect to dead ancestors. People weed their family tombs and leave flowers, incense and ohagi (sweet rice balls covered with red bean paste) for the spirits of the dead.
21 Mar
Noruz (New Year's Day) (Fasli)
Noruz, which can be spelt in a variety of ways, is New Year's Day (according to the Fasli calendar used in Iran). It is a Zoroastrian holiday, but is also a holy day for adherents of Sufism and Baha'is. In addition, Noruz is celebrated in many countries that were territories of, or influenced by, the Persian Empire, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, parts of the middle-east, as well as in the former soviet republics of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is also celebrated by the Zoroastrian Parsis and Iranis in India, and in Turkey, where it is called Nevruz in Turkish and Newroz in Kurdish.
21 Mar
Ostara (Spring Equinox) (Pagan)
Pagan festival celebrating the Spring Equinox, when the hours of night and day become equal, the power of the Sun grows and the land begins to bloom. Traditionally, Pagans celebrate this event with music and dance, with the youthful god (the Green Man) said to lead the way with his hunting call. Others dedicate this time to Eostre, Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility.
21 Mar
Passion Sunday
The 5th Sunday of Lent, falling two weeks before Easter. Traditionally, Passion Sunday is when Christians begin to concentrate their thoughts on the Passion (or suffering) of Christ.
24 Mar
Rama Navami
The birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar (earthly incarnation of a god) of Vishnu. People normally perform Kalyanotsavam (marriage celebration) for small murtis (images of deities) of Rama and Sita in their houses, and at the end of the day the deity is taken on a procession through the streets.
25 Mar
Annunciation Day
Also called the Annunciation of the Lord and the Feast of Annunciation, this day celebrates the announcement (annunciation) by the archangel Gabriel to Mary that she would bear the Son of God.
26 Mar
Khordad Sal (Birth of the Prophet Zarathustra) (Fasli)
This festival celebrates the birth (according to the Fasli calendar) of Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrianism. It is a day of rejoicing, when Zoroastrians and Parsis go to fire temples to pay homage and offer prayers. A feast is prepared, and Parsis in India decorate their homes with flowers and rangoli. Amongst the Parsi community, Khordad Sal is an occasion for gathering together and it is regarded as a time for individual believers to review their lives and make resolutions for the future.
28 Mar
Palm Sunday
The Sunday before Easter, marking the beginning of Holy Week (i.e. the week which recalls the last week of Jesus' earthly existence). The day itself commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem prior to the passion. Many churches commemorate this event by holding processions, with symbolic branches of trees, or palm leaves folded in the form of crosses, being carried.
28 - 29 Mar
Mahavira Jayanti
This is the most important religious holiday in Jainism, celebrating the birth of Mahavira, the last Tirthankara (or great teacher), the model for Jainas. His birth and the events surrounding it are re-enacted on this day. Jain temples are decorated with flags and an idol of Mahavira is given a ceremonial bath called the 'abhishek', placed in a cradle and carried in a procession around the neighbourhood. The devotees will make offerings of milk, rice, fruit, incense, lamps and water to the tirthankar. If there are monks or nuns present, they will read from the scriptures and teach about the rest of Mahavira's life, following which lay people return home to a celebratory feast. Pilgrims from all parts of the country visit the ancient Jain Temples at Girnar and Palitana in Gujarat on this day.
28 Mar -
4 Apr
Holy Week
The week prior to Easter Day, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Holy Saturday. Holy Week is the most solemn period in the Christian calendar, remembering the events that led up to Jesus's arrest, his crucifixion, and his resurrection.
29 - 30 Mar
Hanuman Jayanti
Festival commemorating the birth of Hanuman, the monkey god. Hanuman was an ardent devotee of Lord Rama and is worshipped for his unflinching devotion to the God. From sunrise devotees visit Hanuman temples to worship the monkey god.
30 Mar -
6 Apr
(8 days)
Pesach (Passover)
Eight day festival commemorating the Jewish Exodus from Egypt. The highlight of Pesach is the Seder meal, which is held in family homes at the beginning of the festival, when the story of how the Jews were delivered from slavery is recounted. Matzah (unleavened bread), the symbol of Pesach, is eaten throughout the festival, as are other foods containing no leaven. There is a great spring clean of homes before the festival begins to ensure no trace of leaven remains during Pesach.
