Organize Your Home Office Day by Lisa Kanarek is the second Tuesday of March and is set aside as the day to organize your home office. Get rid of old files. Run a deep virus scan on your computer. Clean off your desk, and get that to-do list done!

Africa

Mar

Ostara (Alban Eilir): March 20

06:20 AM | -

OSTARA

Spring is Here

At the spring equinox, Pagans, Wiccans, and Druids celebrate Ostara, also known in Druid traditions as Alban Eilir. The holiday marks the balance and renewal, marking the moment when day and night share equal length before the sun’s growing power tips the scales toward warmer days. Ostara is considered a pivotal point in the “Wheel of the Year,” a cyclical calendar of eight festivals observed by many contemporary Pagan groups around the globe.

Detailed accounts of historical Ostara rituals remain vague. Celebrants draw inspiration from folklore about the Germanic spring goddess Eostre, who they believe is linked to the season’s themes of fertility and rebirth. Today, customs vary but often feature sunrise ceremonies, decorating eggs as symbols of new life, spring cleaning for invigoration, and feasting seasonal foods.

Druid practitioners may refer to the celebration as Alban Eilir—“Light of the Earth”—emphasizing nature’s reawakening as plumage returns and animals emerge from winter’s hibernation. For adherents, Ostara offers a chance to honor the changing rhythms of the earth, a time of personal growth, and flourishing landscapes promising warmer seasons ahead.

Africa

Mar

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (UK): March

06:20 AM | -

Ovarian Cancer Action of the United Kingdom hosts Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month each March. The goal is to reach women in the UK with the tools and knowledge each needs to know the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. Currently, only 20 percent of women in the UK can name the symptoms of ovarian cancer. These are: Persistent stomach pain Persistent bloating Difficulty eating/feeling full more quickly Needing to urinate more frequently The campaign also seeks to promote early diagnosis of cancer. If caught in the early stages of ovarian cancer, a woman has a 90 percent chance of surviving for more than five years, but this reduces to 22 percent when diagnosed in the later stages. The month also encourages women to explore their family history of ovarian cancer and discover if they’re at risk. Women who inherit a faulty gene known as the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have a 35-60 percent of developing ovarian cancer.

Africa

Mar

Pack Your Lunch Day: March 10

06:20 AM | -

Pack Your Lunch Day is an opportunity to eat something nutritious and save money. There are many easy ways to bring lunch to work. Pack dinner leftovers right after eating, thus saving time or excuses in the morning. Bring something delicious cold, saving the worry of figuring out how to reheat it. Use rice wraps to make low-calorie burritos. However, you choose to celebrate, enjoy your lunch!

Africa

Mar

Paczki Day: March 4

06:20 AM | -

Pronounced 'Poonch-kee,' Paczki is a Polish pastry traditionally eaten before the beginning of Lent. Typically round in shape, the fried dough pastry is filled with fruit and dusted in sugar.

Africa

Mar

Pakistan Day, (PK)(1940/1956): March 23

06:20 AM | -

Pakistan Day (formerly Republic Day) in Pakistan marks two anniversaries: March 23, 1940, when the All-India-Muslim League ratified the resolution to carve out an Islamic country from India. The second is March 23, 1956, when Pakistan declared its republic. Pakistan Day is a national holiday.

Africa

Mar

Palestinian Land Day, Intl. (1976): March 30

06:20 AM | -

International Palestinian Land Day protests the seizure and annexation of Palestinian land to create the state of Israel in 1947, 1948, 1967, and 1981 up through today. This awareness event began in 1976. Palestinian Land Day calls for Palestinian refugees' return to the land taken from them by force. Every year on this day, a "Global March to Jerusalem" is organized, where non-violent activists arrive in Israel's neighboring Arab countries and march peacefully to Jerusalem. THE GREAT MARCH OF RETURN In 2018, Palestinian Land Day kicked off a six-week campaign of unarmed protests called The Great March of Return on the Gaza border to protest the then 11-year siege, 50 years of occupation, and the inability to return to their lands, confiscated by the state of Israel in 1947, 1948, 1967 and 1981. For the next six weeks, Israeli snipers using high-powered, long-range rifles would kill over 120 civilians, including children, medics, and journalists, while wounding another 13,000 from a position of safety on the Israeli side of the barrier. Medical and first responders were amazed at how many of these "unintended" executions were head or heart shots— nearly all—leading one to believe the IDF is, without a doubt, the most unlucky army in the world. That goes against their mantra of being the best trained, most accurate, and above all, "the most moral army in the world." Yeah, right. One Israeli soldier received a minor injury during this time. It was an unarmed protest. The Israeli government praised its snipers' bravery and moral righteousness in killing Palestinians in their version of shooting fish in a barrel. When the world cried "BS!" Israel blamed Hamas for the deaths. The blame was a red herring, and multiple NGOs proved Hamas was not involved in the planning, nor was it involved in carrying out the protest. Rather, the march was a grassroots action organized by students and unemployed youth, which due to the siege of Gaza by Israel, numbers well over half a million people. Gaza's population remains trapped in an area the size of Manhattan, New York, and numbers over two million souls, 70 percent of whom are under thirty. The Great March of Return protest continued for over a year until COVID-19 forced its end. The most moral army in the world continued its killing spree and blame game until it, too, was benched by COVID. The occupation and siege of Gaza continue today.

Africa

Mar

Pancake Day (C)(AU/UK/CA): March 4

06:20 AM | -

Pancake Day (also called Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday) is the last great gasp of gluttony before the 40 days of Lent in the Christian calendar. The custom during Lent is to give up something you enjoy and fast from that enjoyment to mark the 40 days leading up to Easter. In Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, this day before Ash Wednesday is often celebrated by eating pancakes with lots of syrup and butter. Thus the name Pancake Day.

Africa

Mar

Panda Day, Intl: March 16

06:20 AM | -

The world population of giant pandas has fallen to less than 2000 in the wild, and these unique bears continue to be endangered. Native to China, International Panda Day seeks to increase appreciation of these beautiful animals and push for their continued conservation.

Africa

Mar

Pandemic Day, (1918/2020): March 11

06:20 AM | -

Pandemic Day might go down in history as one of its eeriest coincidences. On March 11, 1918, the first cases of the Spanish Flu were reported in the United States when 107 soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas, were diagnosed. The Spanish Flu would claim the lives of 500,000 US citizens and 22 million people worldwide. Fast forward to March 11, 2020, when the novel Coronavirus, named COVID-19, was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. As of this writing (June 2021), the world is still amid this pandemic. Over 614,000 Americans have died, and globally, nearly 4,000,000. However, the global number is considered a vast underestimate, with experts estimating that the number is closer to 20 million. Nations, including India, Brazil, Syria, Yemen, Palestinian Territories, and others, lack the medical infrastructure, testing, and reporting mechanisms to track infections and deaths, particularly in rural communities, accurately.

Africa

Mar

Panic Day, Ntl.: March 9

06:20 AM | -

Try and stay calm, at least until National Panic Day. Then you can panic all you want. However, panic attacks are no laughing matter. A panic attack can happen while driving, at work, or even asleep. If one hits, take a deep breath, take a brisk walk, or watch a sunset and relax.

Africa

Mar

Papmochani Ekadashi (H): March 25

06:20 AM | -

Papmochani Ekadashi in the Hindu calendar arrives on Phagan Vad 11. In the Gregorian calendar, it varies. The Papmochani in Hinduism is the giver of wealth and destroyer of sins. Fasting on this day is believed to release devotees from sin. PLEASE NOTE: We use the Indian civil calendar, the official holiday calendar in India. The Hindu faith has many calendars, each specific to different regions and tribes, with dates and celebrations marked by differing positions of the sun, moon, and stars. Names of months and holidays and the corresponding dates in the Gregorian Calendar may vary widely from one calendar to the next. Determine the proper calendar before attending local events.

Africa

Mar

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Signed into Law (2010): March 23

06:20 AM | -

March 23, 2010, was the day when the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into Law in the US, commonly known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare. Its institution split the nation in two. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, this act was the biggest and most significant regulatory overhaul of the US healthcare system since 1965, when Medicare and Medicaid were added. Even with its passage, the United States remains the only advanced economy without universal healthcare and the only advanced economy where getting sick can quickly bankrupt a family.

Africa

Mar

Patient Safety Awareness Week: March 9-15 (est)

06:20 AM | -

Patient Safety Awareness Week educates caregivers and patients about healthcare safety. Participating institutions display the NPSF campaign logo, and community outreach seeks to educate hospital staff, in-home caregivers, and patients. Each year a different theme focuses on a specific aspect of healthcare safety.

Africa

Mar

PATS Pet Show, Ntl. (UK): March 23-24 (est)

06:20 AM | -

The National Pet Show, or PATS in the United Kingdom falls on the first Saturday and Sunday of October in Telford, and in late March in Sandon. The trade show is a popular event in the United Kingdom. It offers an exciting opportunity for pet lovers to gather and appreciate various animals. It's a fun day out for families and a chance to learn more about responsible pet ownership. The event usually features a variety of attractions, including: SuperDogs Live—An entertaining showcase of the most talented dogs. Animal displays and demonstrations—agility tests, obedience training, or fun animal tricks. Meet and Greets—a chance for visitors to meet different animals up close, ranging from common pets like dogs and cats to more exotic creatures. Expert Talks—conducted by veterinarians, animal trainers, and various pet care experts, providing insights into pet behavior, health, training, and general care. Shopping—pet-related products, from food and toys to accessories and health products. Kids' Zone—interactive and educational activities for children, teaching them about different animals and responsible pet care.

Africa