March Inclusion calendar

Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent.

The Sunday of Orthodoxy marks the first Sunday of Great Lent, dating back to the year 843, when the victory of the icons took place (when icons such as holy images were finally agreed to be restored to churches after over 100 years of iconoclastic controversy). Ever since, this Sunday has been commemorated as the "Triumph of Orthodoxy."

St David is the patron saint of Wales and he is celebrated on 1 March. To mark the day, Welsh people around the world wear one or both of Wales's national emblems – a daffodil and a leek.

Self-injury Awareness Day (SIAD) (also known as Self-Harm Awareness Day) is a grassroots annual global awareness event / campaign on 1 March, where on this day, and in the weeks leading up to it and after, some people choose to be more open about their own self-harm. Awareness organisations also make special efforts to raise awareness about self-harm and self-injury. 

The Nineteen-Day Fast is a nineteen-day period of the year during which members of the Baháʼí faith adhere to a sunrise-to-sunset fast. The nineteen days of fasting occur immediately before the beginning of the Baháʼí New Year.

Ash Wednesday is a solemn reminder of human mortality and the need for reconciliation with God and marks the beginning of the penitential Lenten season. It is commonly observed with ashes and fasting.

The World Day of Fight Against Sexual Exploitation has been observed on this day every year since 2009, to create awareness against sexual exploitation, which overwhelmingly involves women and children. Every day, many women, girls and often young boys, are trapped by international criminal networks.

This first day of Great Lent is called "Clean Monday" because Christians should begin the holy season with "clean hearts and good intentions." It is also because the season of Lent is regarded as a time when Christians should clean up their spiritual house, coming to terms with their lives and rededicating themselves to a more holy and righteous way of living.

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

In the UK and Ireland, Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day is the fourth Sunday in Lent, traditionally a day for visiting or giving a present to one's mother.

Holika Dahan – Hindu festival.

Holi represents the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. It is also known as the ancient Hindu Festival of Colours, is celebrated with bright colours around the world. It celebrates the blossoming of spring and marks the end of winter, the joys of love and the victory of good over evil. It is also said to be the enactment of a game the Hindu god Lord Krishna played with his consort Radha and the gopis, or milkmaids.

This holy day is known as Laylat al-Bara'ah ("Night of Forgiveness") in Arabic and Shab-Barat in Persian. Followers observe the date by holding a vigil throughout the night. They congregate at the local mosque to pray, read the Qur'an, and set off fireworks.

Hola Mohalla is a week-long Sikh Festival which revolves around daytime demonstrations of Gatka, the Sikh martial art, and other military sports. Evening events include Sikh worship services and kirtan, the singing of hymns selected from Guru Granth Sahib. The grand finale at the end of the week is a martial arts and nagar kirtan parade. The festival usually takes place mid-March beginning on the first day of Chet, which is the start of the Sikh New Year according to the Nanakshahi calendar.

Global Recycling Day is designed to make us think again about what we throw away, and how we can all help address the climate emergency.

Saint Patrick's Day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.

Bank holiday – Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

Fire burnt on the eve of Holi (Holika Dahan) symbolises the burning of Holika. The story as a whole is testament to the power of devotion (bhakta) over the evil represented by King Hiranyakashyapu, as Prahlad never lost his faith.

Bank Holiday for Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland (ROI).

St Joseph's Day is a Roman Catholic feast day commemorating the life of the stepfather of Jesus, husband of Mary. It’s an especially important day for Sicilians, who honour St Joseph as it’s believed he prevented a famine in Sicily during the Middle Ages. Food, flowers and objects are still laid every year at special altars.

Norooz is the first day of the Iranian new year, occurring on the vernal equinox (usually 20 or 21 March). Iranians often arrange a night of traditional music, food and celebration to count down to Nowruz. The celebrations typically last for thirteen days.

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination was adopted in the 1965 and entered into force in 1969. It remains the principal international human rights instrument defining and prohibiting racial discrimination in all sectors of private and public life. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid pass laws. Proclaiming the day in 1966, the United Nations General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

Shrove Tuesday is the day immediately preceding Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent in Western churches). Shrove, derived from shrive, refers to the confession of sins as a preparation for Lent, a usual practice in Europe in the Middle Ages.

Each year, on 31 March, the world celebrates Trans Day of Visibility. Established in 2009, the last 12 years have seen radical change in the way that trans people are viewed, and how we have engaged with the world. The UK is no exception to this. Our visibility has skyrocketed over the last six years, fuelled by the coming out of celebrities, and by expanded media interest in our lives – not all of which has been positive. To an extent, trans people are now hyper visible, and for the most part, we have little control over that visibility. This year then, we're calling for more than just visibility. We're calling for a day of voices, variety, vibrance, value and victory.

The Nanakshahi calendar is a tropical solar calendar used in Sikhism. It is based on the "Barah Maha" (Twelve Months), a composition by the Sikh gurus reflecting the changes in nature conveyed in the twelve-month cycle of the year.

Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter, on which Christ's entry into Jerusalem is celebrated in many Christian churches by processions in which branches of palms are carried.

Palm Sunday is 24 March in 2024 and 13 April in 2025. 

Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday or Sheer Thursday, is the Thursday before Easter, observed in commemoration of Jesus Christ's institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper.

Maundy Thursday is 28 March in 2024 and 17 April in 2025.

Good Friday is a Christian holy day observing the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. Good Friday is a Bank Holiday in the UK.

Good Friday is 29 March in 2024 and 18 April in 2025.

Easter Sunday marks Jesus's resurrection. After Jesus was crucified on the Friday his body was taken down from the cross and buried in a cave tomb. 

Easter Sunday is 30 March in 2024 and 20 April in 2025.

Easter Monday holds religious significance for Christians, as it follows Easter Sunday, the day Jesus Christ was resurrected following his crucifixion on Good Friday. For some it's a more solemn remembrance of Christ's death and subsequent resurrection, which is marked with an outdoor procession. Easter Monday is a Bank Holiday in the UK.

Easter Monday is 31 March in 2024 and 21 April in 2025.

Dates of Easter are determined on the Moon.