March
| Published: 10th March 2008 20:39 |
March is a really busy month after the relative quiet of January and February, everything is kick started. Spring is almost upon us, the evenings are getting lighter and new shoots are starting to appear, there seems to be new life and hope in the relatively bleak landscape.
Things to do out and about in March
1. Go out daffodil hunting. Try reading Wordsworth's Daffodils to them, it's a British classic with the most wonderful imagery that everyone should be at least vaguely familiar with.
2. Organise an Easter Egg hunt. Pick the day over the Easter weekend with the best weather and place eggs (chocolate or decorated real eggs) in your garden or, if the weather's really bad, in your house. Give the kids a basket each and let them go.
3. Look for the early signs of spring, new shoots and frogspawn. If you're feeling brave you can even collect a little frogspawn in an old jam jar and watch the tadpoles hatch.
4. Plant some seeds and bulbs for the summer, either vegetables or flowers. Onions, garlic and, if the weather is mild, potatoes can be planted. Just remember to look out for any ‘little presents' left by pets, local cats or foxes.
5. Visit Grandma (and Great-Grandma), don't forget Mother's Day is about your mother too. Tell your children stories about your childhood; generations learn respect and appreciation of others through this wonderful oral tradition of women gossiping.
Events around the world in March
St. David's Day - 1st March
Patron Saint of Wales, St David (Dewi Sant in Welsh) is celebrated in Wales by the wearing of the national emblems, the leek and the daffodil.
Mother's Day - 2nd March
England was one of the first countries to set aside a day to recognise mothers. In the eighteenth century when many people worked as household servants 'Mothering Sunday' was reserved for them to return home to be with their mothers.
Palm Sunday - 16th March
On Palm Sunday Christians celebrate the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds greeted him with waving palm branches, and by covering his path with palm branches. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of ‘Holy Week'.
St. Patrick's Day - 17th March
Patron Saint of Ireland, St Patrick (Lá 'le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig) is one of the most famous saints, probably because of the enthusiasm of Irish immigrants who have over the past 200 years moved world wide and kept the traditional revelry of St. Patrick's Day alive. St. Patrick's Day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland, and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Montserrat, and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In the rest of Canada, Great Britain, Australia, the United States and New Zealand, even though it's not an official holiday, St. Patrick's Day is widely celebrated.
Spring (Vernal) Equinox - 20th March
On the equinox the day and night are of equal length, meaning from now on the days are getting longer. Celebrated by pagans as the start of spring.
Good Friday - 21st March
Many Christians spend this day in fasting, prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ on the Cross.
Easter Sunday - 23rd March
Christians believe according to Scripture, that Jesus came back to life, or was raised from the dead, three days after his death on the cross. Easter Sunday is a day of celebration after the austerity of Lent, often celebrated with a celebratory feast or, more importantly, chocolate eggs.
Also..........
Crufts 6-9th March
Officially recognised as the world's largest dog show by the Guinness Book of Records, Crufts 2008 looks forward to expecting over 25,000 dogs, including around 1,000 dogs from overseas.
"Did you know?"
How did French Poodles get their distinctive style of coat? The French Poodle was actually used as a hunting dog across Europe, but the thick coat became entangled and caught-up in bushes and grass. Hunters shaved the dogs' coat off all over except for on their ankles and hips to help protect them against rheumatism which is where the joints hurt. The dogs also had a ribbon tied on them, so each hunter knew which dog was his. It's an unusual beginning, but that is where the puffy-tailed, ribbon-wearing show dog that we see in dog shows gets its coat.
World Clown Convention
Every year, the World Clown Association, a group of the world's best clowns, meet up to talk about everything to do with clowns in Nevada USA. Competitions are also held for the clowns, to see who has the best costume, who is the funniest, and who can make the best balloon animals. There are also classes so that clowns can learn how to be even better.
Dirt and Dust Festival
Held in Australia each year, this festival was originally a triathlon event. A Triathlon event is a race with three parts (tri), which is an 800m swim, 25km bike ride and 5km run. In the last few years, the festival has also included other events: horse racing, country music, dancing and firework displays. There is of course the most important prize, the crowning of the Dust Queen.
Rotten Trainer Contest
Held every year, this is not just a fun competition, there is a £350 prize for the smelliest trainers, and the winner gets a brand new pair too. The smelliest trainers of all are displayed in the Hall of Fumes in Montpelier so everyone can smell just how bad they are.
World Coal Carrying Championships, Gawthorpe, Yorkshire
What began as a £10 bet between two friends in 1963 has become an international event, recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the proving ground for the world's greatest coal carrier or "Coil Humper". The men's event consists of 30 competitors carrying 50 kilos of coal over a distance of 1108.25 yards (nearly a mile; current record: four minutes six seconds), while women, having escaped the option of a rolling-pin throwing contest, now carry 20 kilos the same distance (current record: five minutes five seconds).
Favourite Websites:
Source of wonderful and wonderfully useless facts, search on yours and your children's birthdates for a list of events that have occurred in that day in history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
The official Crufts site with some great photos and doggie info.
http://www.crufts.org.uk/
Have a look at the BBC's Springwatch for children site, for great interactive spring activities and create your very own record of this spring.
http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/register
Fun things to make in March
Irish stew
The weather's still cold so warm up with this traditional stew. It's gilding the lily a little, but I love dumplings with mine. The other great thing is that kids can really help with this one as it's so simple.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
450g Lamb shoulder, cut into cubes ( or if you can find it use neck of lamb)
1 tbsp Plain flour
3 medium Potatoes, quartered
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
2 large carrots, cut thickly
750ml stock
Small knob of butter
Fresh parsley
2 Bay leaves
Sprig of Thyme
1 lamb bone (optional)
Salt and pepper
For the Dumplings
100g Plain flour
50g Shredded suet
2-3 tbsp Cold water
Method
1. Melt the butter in a large heavy based pan, gently fry off the onions until browned but not burned, remove the browned onions. Dust the cubed meat in seasoned flour and fry in the pan until browned.
2. Add back in the onions and stock. Bring to the boil stirring well, add the carrots, potatoes, bay leaves and thyme.
3. Simmer gently for 30-45minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. For the dumplings, using a fork stir together the suet, flour and pinch of salt. Slowly add the water bit by bit, until the dumpling start to come together. Divide the dumplings into eight small balls and shape gently by hand. The more you handle the dumplings the heavier they will be so go easy.
5. Place the dumplings in the simmering stew and cook for a further 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.
Easter Bonnet
Stemming from the tradition of wearing your finest for church, traditionally women and particularly children used to decorate their hats for the most important day in the Christian calendar. Try making your own Easter bonnet. Either use an old straw hat or make your own paper crown.
You will need
Paper plate
Paint
Scissors
Glue
Glitter
Tissue paper
Crepe paper or ribbons
Method
1. Cut a slit through the centre of the paper plate, leaving about an inch at the edges of the plate.
2. Bend the triangles formed by the cuts upwards, forming leaf-like shapes. Paint in a bright colour, allow to dry.
3. Cut circles out of tissue paper and scrunch up into flowers, glue the flowers on to your hat.
4. Decorate your hat with glitter and ribbons, since you're probably not going to church go wild, my daughter's is more glue and glitter than hat.
Easter Bunny Mask
Make your own cute Easter bunny mask, super simple and great fun for your Easter egg hunt.
You will need
Two plain, white paper plates
Pink card or pink paint
Scissors
Stapler
Glue
Crayons, markers, or paint
Small pink pompom
Elastic
Method
1. Paint the centre of a paper plate pink or cut a circle from pink card (it should be the same size as the inside of a paper plate); then glue the pink paper circle to the centre of a paper plate. Cut the plate in half, to give you the two rabbit ears.
2. Take the second paper plate and cut out a wedge roughly a quarter of the plate, to make the mouth.
3. Staple the ears to the top of the face. Cut two eye holes in the face, draw on whiskers and stick on the pompom for the rabbit's nose.
4. Attach the elastic to each side of the mask.
