GLOBAL DAYS IN MARCH 2021
1ST MARCH - ST. DAVID'S DAY
St. David is the patron saint of Wales and although the day is not a public holiday, St. David’s Day is celebrated by Welsh people everywhere, with parades, concerts and festivals. Click here to find out more.
4TH MARCH - WORLD BOOK DAY
World Book Day was designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. The origins of the day come from Catalonia, where roses and books were given as gifts to loved ones on St. George’s Day – a tradition started over 80 years ago. Although this will take place today in the UK, some other countries hold World Book Day on 23rd April.
Click here to visit the website and find out more about this year's World Book Day.
8TH MARCH - INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
All around the world, International Women's Day represents an opportunity to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Yet progress has slowed in many places across the world, and gender parity is still 200 years away, so urgent action is needed to accelerate gender parity. Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organisations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women's groups, corporations and the media celebrate the day.
#ChoosetoChallenge is the theme for 2021. A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day. We can choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequity. We can choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge. Click here to visit the website and find out more.
8TH MARCH - COMMONWEATH DAY
The theme for the 2020 Commonwealth Day, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), and for the work of the Commonwealth more generally is Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming.
Commonwealth Day, held on the second Monday in March each year, is an opportunity for individuals, communities and organisations to promote the Commonwealth’s shared values of peace, democracy and equality, and to celebrate the association’s rich diversity.
The day will be marked across the globe by a range of activities, including a multi-faith service at Westminster Abbey in London. This service is traditionally attended by Her Majesty The Queen, the Head of the Commonwealth; High Commissioners, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, and dignitaries from across the Commonwealth, as well as senior politicians and 800 school children.
10TH MARCH - NO SMOKING DAY
No Smoking Day was started on Ash Wednesday in 1983, when it was called Quit for the Day, and is associated with the British Heart Foundation. The campaign is re-designed every year to help spur smokers into action and is now held on the 2nd Wednesday in March each year.
No matter how long you've smoked for, no matter how many cigarettes you smoke a day, your health will start to improve as soon as you quit.
14TH MARCH - MOTHERING SUNDAY
Mothering Sunday is a Christian holiday, celebrated throughout Europe, which falls on the 4th Sunday in Lent. What will you do for your Mum this year? Did you know that Mothering Sunday and Mother’s Day are not the same? Click here to discover more and find a recipe for a special Mothering Sunday cake.
17TH MARCH - ST. PATRICK'S DAY
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and today is a public holiday in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in his honour. What do you think people do to celebrate? And why has the shamrock become such an important symbol? Click here to find out?
19TH MARCH - RED NOSE DAY
When you donate to Comic Relief or Sport Relief, you’re supporting vulnerable people and communities in the UK and internationally. Their vision is to create a just world free from poverty and they’re doing this by funding amazing organisations doing amazing things.
The first ever 100% plastic-free, plant-based Red Nose will launch this year for Red Nose Day 2021. The new Red Nose will be made from bagasse, a natural by-product of sugarcane, chosen for its widely celebrated sustainable qualities.. Click here to find out more.
20TH MARCH - SPRING BEGINS
The spring equinox marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator (the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator). The word equinox is derived from Latin meaning equal night - night and day are almost exactly the same length. While it is the spring equinox for us in the northern hemisphere, it is the autumn equinox in the southern hemisphere.
22ND MARCH - WORLD WATER DAY
Water means different things to different people.
How is water important to your home and family life, your livelihood, your cultural practices, your wellbeing, your local environment? By recording - and celebrating - all the different ways water benefits our lives, we can value water properly and safeguard it effectively for everyone.
Click here to find out more.
28TH MARCH - PALM SUNDAY
Palm Sunday occurs on the Sunday before Easter and marks the beginning of Holy Week. It commemorates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, coming in peace and riding on a donkey. This coincided with the Jewish festival of Passover. Jesus was met by crowds of followers and supporters who lined the road into the city and waved branches cut from palm trees. They laid palm fronds on the road and even laid down cloaks for Jesus to ride over.
You can find out more on our Palm Sunday page.
28TH MARCH - BRITISH SUMMERTIME BEGINS
The clocks go forward one hour from 1 am to 2 am today. The period when the clocks are 1 hour ahead is called British Summer Time (BST). There's more daylight in the evenings and less in the mornings, so it is sometimes called Daylight Saving Time.
29TH MARCH - 4TH APRIL - AUTISM AWARENESS WEEK
The National Autistic Society is the leading UK charity for people with autism. They provide information and support, and campaign for a better world for people with autism. This week people all over the UK are taking part in activities to raise money and awareness for The National Autistic Society. Click here to visit the website and find out more.