This month’s installment of the calendar series continues a year-long exploration Chapter 3: Celtic and Roman traditions, focusing on the history, mythology, and cultural practices associated with each calendar month.
Chapter 3: Celtic and Roman
The phrase “mad as a March hare” is believed to originate from the boxing antics of hares during their March mating season. In Celtic tradition, the hare was a sacred and mystical creature, symbolising abundance, prosperity, and good fortune. Hares were thought to have strong ties to the Otherworld and were treated with great reverence.
Ostara
Ostara, marking the Spring Equinox in Celtic tradition, is an ancient festival celebrating the arrival of spring. Historians suggest that the name “Easter” may have come from this ancient celebration.
A lesser-known Irish folklore tale is that of Laethanta na Bó Riabhaí, or The Days of the Brindled Cow. The story tells of a brindled cow that lamented the harshness of March’s weather. March, insulted by the cow’s complaints, decided to teach her a lesson. Borrowing the first three days of April, it made them so bitterly cold and miserable that the unfortunate bó riabhach did not survive. The tale serves as a cautionary reminder that complaining about the weather may bring worse misfortune.
Sheela Na Gig
Saint Patrick’s Day, which falls near the Spring Equinox, likely grew out of older pagan spring festivals. Some scholars interpret St. Patrick’s supposed eradication of snakes as an allegory for the suppression of pagan beliefs. On March 18th, people celebrate the lesser-known Sheelah’s Day. According to Irish folklore, Sheelah was either the wife or mother of St. Patrick. Some scholars suggest a connection between Sheelah’s Day and the Sheela na gig, a mysterious female figure found in medieval European architecture.
In the Roman calendar, Martius (March) took its name from Mars, the god of war and protector of agriculture. Meanwhile, in Celtic tradition, March connects with the celebration of the Ash tree, which marks the third moon of the Ogham calendar.
