March - easy reading

March is named after Mars, the Roman god of war. A long time ago, it was the first month of the year because it’s when spring starts. January and February were added to the calendar about 2700 years ago so March is now the third month.

The winter is finished and spring begins. The weather gets warmer and things start growing again in the garden after the cold winter. At the end of the month, we put the clocks forward one hour. We lose an hour of sleep but we have more light in the evenings.

Easter Sunday is on a different day each year. The date depends on the moon. It is sometimes in March and sometimes in April so I won’t say any more about it here but I’ll write a separate post. In the UK, Mother’s Day (sometimes called Mothering Sunday) is three weeks before Easter Sunday, so it is usually in March. This is a day to celebrate mothers. We give cards, flowers or other gifts to our mums and maybe to grandmas as well.

Another special day for some people is Saint Patrick’s Day. This is a national holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland but not in England. Recently, it has become popular in England too. In some cities, there are parades or celebrations with Irish music and dancing. Some people go to the pub and drink Guinness, a type of beer made in Ireland. There are Irish-themed pubs in many towns all over the UK and it is a busy night for them.​