MARCH 2023 MORE INFORMATION
March is Women’s History Month. Established in 1987, the month recognizes all women for their valuable contributions to history and society. National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month was established to increase awareness and understanding of issues affecting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month was established to raise public awareness of the autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. St. David’s Day is the feast day of St. David, the patron saint of Wales. Nineteen-Day Fast is a time in the Bahá’í faith to reinvigorate the soul and bring one closer to God. This fast takes place immediately before the beginning of the Bahá’í New Year. Magha Puja Day, or Maka Bucha, is a Buddhist holiday that marks an event early in the Buddha’s teaching life when a group of 1,250 enlightened saints ordained by the Buddha gathered to pay their respect to him. It is celebrated on various dates in different countries. Lailat al Bara’a, also known as Lailat Al Baraah, Barat, Shab-e-Bara, or Night of Forgiveness, is an Islamic holiday during which practitioners of the faith seek forgiveness for sins. Muslims spend the night in special prayers. It is regarded as one of the most sacred nights on the Islamic calendar. International Women’s Day, first observed in 1911 in Germany, has now become a major global celebration honoring women’s economic, political, and social achievements. Deaf History Month celebrates key events in deaf history, including the founding of Gallaudet University and the American School for the Deaf. St. Patrick’s Day started in Ireland to recognize St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who brought Christianity to the country in the early days of the faith. Holi is the annual Hindu and Sikh spring religious festival observed in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, along with other countries with large Hindu and Sikh populations. People celebrate Holi by throwing colored powder and water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlada accomplished when demoness Holika carried him into the fire. It is often celebrated on the full moon (the Phalguna Purnima) before the beginning of the vernal equinox as based on the Hindu calendar.
St. Joseph’s Day in Western Christianity is the principal feast of St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Ostara is a celebration of the spring equinox commemorated by Pagans and Wiccans. It is observed as a time to mark the coming of spring and the fertility of the land. Nowruz/Norooz, or Persian New Year, is a day of joy, celebration, and renewal. It is held annually on the spring equinox. International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed annually in the wake of the 1960 killing of 69 people at a demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in South Africa. The United Nations proclaimed the day in 1966 and called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. Chaitra Navratri is a nine-day festival that starts on the first day of the Hindu Luni-Solar calendar. International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is a United Nations international observation that offers the opportunity to honor and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. First observed in 2008, the international celebration also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice. Ram Navami is a Hindu day of worship and celebration of the seventh avatar of Vishnu (Lord Rama). Devotees typically wear red and place extravagant flowers on the shrine of the god. International Transgender Day of Visibility is celebrated to bring awareness to transgender people and their identities as well as recognize those who helped fight for the rights of transgender people.
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