Landscapes Portraying March. March is the third month of the year and named after Mars in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 21 marks the astronomical beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where September is the seasonal equivalent of the Northern Hemisphere's March. Birthday Number the letter M. The name of March comes from Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. It was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, and an ancestor of the Roman people through his sons Romulus and Remus. His month Martius was the beginning of the season for warfare, and the festivals held in his honor during the month were mirrored by others in October, when the season for these activities came to a close. Martius remained the first month of the Roman calendar year perhaps as late as 153 BC, and several religious observances in the first half of the month were originally new year's celebrations. Even in late antiquity, Roman mosaics picturing the months sometimes still placed March first. March 1 began the numbered year in Russia until the end of the 15th century. Great Britain and its colonies continued to use March 25 until 1752, when they finally adopted the Gregorian calendar. Many other cultures and religions still celebrate the beginning of the New Year in March. March is the first month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first month of fall or autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Ancient Roman observances celebrated in March include Agonium Martiale, celebrated on March 1, March 14, and March 17, Matronalia, celebrated on March 1, Junonalia, celebrated on March 7, Equirria, celebrated on March 14, Mamuralia, celebrated on either March 14 or March 15, Hilaria on March 15 and then through March 22-28, Argei, celebrated on March 16-17, Liberalia and Bacchanalia, celebrated March 17, Quinquatria, celebrated March 19-23, and Tubilustrium, celebrated March 23. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar. In Finnish, the month is called maaliskuu, which is believed to originate from maallinen kuu, during March, earth finally becomes visible under the snow. In Ukrainian, the month is called березень / berezenʹ, meaning birch tree, and bÅ™ezen in Czech. Historical names for March include the Saxon Lentmonat, named after the March equinox and gradual lengthening of days, and the eventual namesake of Lent. Saxons also called March Rhed-monat or Hreth-monath, and Angles called it Hyld-monath. In Slovene, the traditional name is suÅ¡ec, meaning the month when the earth becomes dry enough so that it is possible to cultivate it. The name was first written in 1466 in the Å kofja Loka manuscript. Other names were used too, for example brezen and breznik, the month of birches. The Turkish word Mart is given after the name of Mars the god. March's birthstones are aquamarine and bloodstone. These stones symbolize courage. Its birth flower is the daffodil. The zodiac signs for the month of March are Pisces and Aries. This list does not necessarily imply either official status nor general observance. In Catholic tradition, March is the Month of Saint Joseph. Endometriosis Awareness Month. National Nutrition Month. Season for Nonviolence: January 30-April 4. Women's History Month. Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. National Nutrition Month. Irish-American Heritage Month. Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. Music in our Schools Month. National Athletic Training Month. National Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month. National Celery Month. National Frozen Food Month. National Kidney Month. National Professional Social Work Month. National Reading Awareness Month. Youth Art Month. List of observances set by the Bahá'í calendar. List of observances set by the Chinese calendar. List of observances set by the Hebrew calendar. List of observances set by the Islamic calendar. List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar. National Corndog Day:. First Sunday of Lent in: People's Sunday. First Saturday of Great Lent: St. Theodore Saturday. Monday to Sunday following the 9th Sunday before Pascha: March 3 Meatfare Week.