In March, Ukrainians are waiting for a “long” weekend, several major church holidays and many memorable dates. What do we celebrate and how will we relax in the first month of spring?
Weekends in March 2022: how to relax
There are only 31 days in March. Of these, 22 will be working, and 9 days off. Small "holidays" fall on the first weekend of the month: we will have more rest due to International Women's Day, which is celebrated on March 8th. This day falls on Tuesday, and in order not to “break” the weekend, the Cabinet of Ministers postpones the working Monday, March 7, to Saturday, March 12. So days become weekends
from 5 to 8 March inclusive, and for workers from 9 to 12 March.The first weekend of March is the longest weekend of the month. At this time, it is worth planning trips and travels, you can take a few days off and arrange an extracurricular vacation. Further weekends traditionally fall on Saturdays and Sundays. After the "vacation" we will rest only one day, on Sunday March 13. Then the weekend will be standard March 19-20 and March 26-27.
Holidays and memorable dates in March
The beginning of March this year will be noisy and cheerful: the first week of the month falls Maslenitsa. It starts on February 28, will last until March 6 inclusive and will end Forgiveness Sunday. We will not argue about whether this is a church or pagan holiday, because it can be interpreted in different ways. Better stock up for this week with a good mood and original pancake recipes, because, according to tradition, they need to be baked as often as possible.
By the way, in ancient times, our ancestors called Shrovetide Week Babskaya: at this time, women were allowed to sit back and spend time for their own pleasure. Each day of the week had its own traditions and customs - for example, on Monday, women went to tavern, on Wednesday the daughter-in-law commanded the house, and on Saturday it was necessary to go to visit unmarried girlfriends. You can read more about how to properly celebrate Maslenitsa "like a woman" here.
Shrovetide week smoothly flows into International Women's Day. Fortunately, this holiday has not yet been canceled, although attempts to decommunize it still continue. However, this year, women have every right to rest and receive gifts: by decree of the Cabinet of Ministers, this day is recognized as an official holiday. Men can start preparing for March 8 after Valentine's Day, February 14. Here is a list of ideas what to give this day to mom, grandmother, daughter, sister and girlfriend.
In addition to these holidays, public utilities, taxi drivers and theater workers will celebrate their professional date in March. By the way, Theater Day (March 27) this year falls on Sunday, so you have a great opportunity to celebrate it by going to the play. Also in March, on the 20th, we will meet Day of spring equinox. Astrologers consider this day full of energy renewal and say that with the help of a few simple rituals you can attract prosperity for the whole year.
Holiday calendar for March 2022
- March 1-6 - Maslenitsa
- March 1 - World Civil Defense Day
- March 3 - World Writer's Day
- March 8 - International Women's Day
- March 9 - International DJ Day
- March 12 - Land surveyor's day
- March 15 - World Consumer Protection Day
- March 20 - Spring Equinox Day, Day of Housing and Public Utilities Workers
- March 21 - World Poetry Day, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, International Day of the Puppeteer
- March 22 - World Water Day, Taxi Driver Day
- March 23 - World Meteorological Day
- March 24 - World TB Day
- March 25 - Day of the Security Service of Ukraine
- March 26 - Day of the National Guard of Ukraine
- March 27 - International Theater Day
Church holidays and fasts in March
What we call Maslenitsa is called in the church calendar cheese week. This is the last, preparatory week before Lent. Not many people know that this week, according to church canons, it is no longer possible to eat meat, meat and offal (liver, liver). True, the ban does not apply to other food products.
It is not customary to overeat on Cheese Week, on the contrary, it is worth devoting this time to the smooth preparation of the body for Lent. Also at this time, you must definitely visit all your relatives, make peace with those who offended you with something, and be sure to ask for forgiveness from family v Forgiveness Sunday (March 6).
Immediately after Cheese Week begins great post - the most strict and longest of all the multi-day church fasts established by the church. It will run from March 7 to April 23 and end with Easter (April 24). At this time, believers need to adhere to strict nutritional rules (a detailed nutrition calendar for Lent 2022 by day can be found by this link), as well as devote more time to prayer, meditation, and spiritual cleansing.
During Lent in March there will be several very important church holidays. On March 9 the church will celebrate The first and second acquisition of the head of John the Baptist, and on March 19 and 26, believers celebrate Universal Parental Saturday (one of five parental Saturdays in 2022). Parents' Saturday is a special day of commemoration of all deceased family members. You can go to the cemetery, go to the temple and light a candle for the repose of your loved ones, set the table at home (remember the prohibitions of fasting) and invite people who were familiar with the deceased to visit.
Calendar of church holidays for March
- March 1-6 - Cheese week
- March 1 - St. Macarius (Nevsky), Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna
- March 3 - St. Leo I, Pope of Rome, St. Cosmas of Yakhroma
- March 4 - Apostle from the 70 Philemon and Martyr Equal-to-the-Apostles Apphia
- March 5 - Venerable Leo, Bishop of Catan, Venerable Agathon of the Caves
- March, 6 - Forgiveness Sunday
- March 7 - start Great Lent
- March 8 - Hieromartyr Polycarp of Smyrna, Bishop
- March 9 - 1-s and 2nd acquisitions of the head of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John
- March 10 - Saint Tarasius, Archbishop of Constantinople
- March 11 - St. Porphyry, Archbishop of Gaza
- March 12 - Venerable Procopius Dekapolit
- March 13 - St. Basil the Decapolites
- March 14 - Martyr Evdokia of Iliopol, abbess
- March 15 - Hieromartyr Theodotos, Bishop of Cyrene
- March 16 - Martyrs Eutropius, Cleonice and Basilisk
- March 18 - Uncovering the relics of the right-believing Prince Theodore Rostislavich Cherny, Smolensky and his children David and Konstantin, Yaroslavl miracle workers
- March 19 - Universal parent Saturday
- March 21 - Venerable Theophylact the Confessor, Bishop of Nicomedia
- March 22 - 40 martyrs who suffered in the Sevastian lake
- March 24 - Transfer of the relics of the martyr Epimakh the New
- March 25 - Venerable Theophan the Confessor, Sigrian
- 26 March - Universal parent Saturday
- March 27 - Venerable Benedict of Nursia, hegumen
- March 28 - Hieromartyr Alexander of Sidsky (Pamphylian), presbyter
- March 29 - Saint Serapion, Archbishop of Novgorod
- March 30 - St. Macarius, hegumen of Kalyazinsky, miracle worker
- March 31 - St. Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem
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