1 Mar
(Sun)
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.
9 Mar
(Sunni)
14 Mar
(Shia)
Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Milad un Nabi)
Day on which the birth of the Prophet Muhammad is commemorated. 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.
10 Mar
(Tue)
Purim
Festival celebrating the events related in the Book of Esther about how the Jews of Persia were saved from Haman's plot to exterminate them. In synagogues, the Book of Esther is read aloud twice, the name of Haman being drowned out with rattles and hooters by the congregation. The festival is also celebrated by the giving of gifts of food and drink, giving charity to the poor, and a celebratory meal. Other customs include drinking alcohol, wearing of masks and costumes, and the eating of Hamantashen ("Haman's pockets"), which are cakes filled with poppy seeds.
11 Mar
(Wed)
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.
11 Mar
(Wed)
Magha Puja
An important Buddhist holy day, observed with meditation, chanting and listening to sermons. The day commemorates the occasion when 1,250 enlightened disciples of the Buddha came spontaneously to the Bamboo Grove on the full moon of the month of Magha. Buddha predicted his death and recited a summary of his teachings and a code of discipline which all Buddhist monks are expected to recite fortnightly.
11 Mar
(Wed)
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.
17 Mar
(Tue)
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
(Sat)
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
(Sat)
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
(Sat)
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
(Sat)
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.
22 Mar
(Sun)
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.
25 Mar
(Wed)
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
(Thu)
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.
27 Mar
(Fri)
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.
29 Mar
(Sun)
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.
