• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

March gifts

Thelma

Thelma

New Member
In my country we have a spring custom which I think is unique in Europe: we give each other little objects like amulets, tied with string made of red and white thread. Red symbolizes life, passion, the light of the sun, the woman. White symbolizes winter, reason, the man. At first people used to wear just the red and white little string at the wrist or around the waist ( the girls ), then they started to attach small presents to it: a clover, little chicken, butterflies, ladybirds, chimney sweepers, horse-shoes, little hearts made of glass, silver, velvet etc. These gifts are offered on the first of March and they are meant to celebrate life, rebirth, spring.

Do you have such customs or do anything special to welcome spring?

:)
 
March 1 is the day the Vestal Virgins rekindled the fires at the Temple of Vesta in ancient Rome. You're supposed to burn a muffin or a cupcake for good luck.


I don't do much rekindling myself, though. Still snow on the ground over here. :(
 
What country would that be Thelma?

We Americans have a way of over-commercializing gift giving holidays so you may want to keep that one under your hat, or risk ruining a good thing.

We've recently started stealing excuses for celebrating other countries holidays too. St. Patricks Day & Cinco Dimayo (I know I spelled that way wrong, but it's the only way I can think to spell it right now) come to mind.
Any excuse for hords of Americans to drink alcohol like it's going out of style...
 
Oh yeah, and on a more local note:

I live about 30 minutes drive from Philadelphia, Pa. Over the last few years
Fat Tuesday celebrations have started getting out of control in Philly. Lots of drunks and public nudity with the beads and such. Not bad for the guys, but a bit of a concern for fathers of growing daughters. :eek:

Fat Tuesday coming from New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration.
 
Thelma, i LOVE the sounds of that tradition! how cool!
we don't really have anything specific to March - except Easter egg hunts maybe... LOL
 
Motokid said:
Oh yeah, and on a more local note:

I live about 30 minutes drive from Philadelphia, Pa. Over the last few years
Fat Tuesday celebrations have started getting out of control in Philly. Lots of drunks and public nudity with the beads and such. Not bad for the guys, but a bit of a concern for fathers of growing daughters. :eek:

Fat Tuesday coming from New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration.
Click to expand...

Is it still a big thing on South Street? I haven't paid attention in a few years, but I heard it was getting so out of control (thanks to a certain radio station promoting it) that they were thinking of banning it on South Street.
South St has changed so much :(
 
We too celebrate the spring and rebirth in the month of March, but in a different way. According to the Hindu calendar, March is the first month of the year.
The first day of the month is called as Yugadi (meaning beginning of year) and its a big festival over here. On this day people exchange neem leaves and jaggery.
Neem represents sorrow and jaggery represents happiness. Eating them together siginifies that you should accept both as a part of life and live with it.
 
Here we get not only Good Friday and Easter Monday out of work, we get Easter Tuesday! YAY! I love the Holiday Isle!
 
The only gift I want in March is one from the Weather G-D that blows in warm weather and melts all the snow :D

Unlikely as I sit here wondering if the power will go out from yet another bad snow/ice storm that is currently pounding Boston :(
 
Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! CHOCOLATE!! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! CHOCOLATE!! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate!

Nyum, nyum, NYUM!!!
 
Sorry, I got a little distracted... someone mentioned Cadbury's chocolate. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of commercialised holidays (don't get me started on Valentines Day). But c'mon! A holiday that's about chocolate? Oh, that's just too too wonderful. I'm almost positive it was thought up by a woman :D

*Returns to cleaning drool out from between keyboard keys*
 
You mean Valentines isnt about chocolate?!

Must have been going wrong somewhere, I thought all holidays were about chocolate!! :D

Phil
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top