March isn't just an in-between month; it's packed with important days, birthdays, and cultural celebrations. As we transition from winter to spring, Southern California's weather likes to keep us guessing. Despite the unpredictable weather, March is brimming with festivities like Ramadan, St. Patrick's Day, the spring equinox, Nowruz, Purim, Holi, and Easter.
For Local Family-Fun things to do visit the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas event calendar
Dive into the rich tapestry of holidays this March and explore these fascinating traditions with your kids:
Notable Local History Important Dates:
- March 8, 1842: First California Gold discovery was in Placerita Canyon by Francisco López, a local rancher and native of California, six-years before the discovery at Sutter’s Mill that sparked the Gold Rush. Learn more: Gold Discovery in California - Who Was the First Real Discoverer of Gold in This State? | The Incredible Story of California's First Gold Strike Takes Place Just Minutes form Downtown L.A. | CA Historical Landmark: Oak of the Golden Dream
- March 9, 1959: The "Barbie" doll debuts, created by Mattel in Hawthorn, CA.
- March 21, 1962: First Taco Bell opens in Downey, CA.
- March 29: National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day - This cake was invented in L.A. by insurance salesman Harry Baker, it was first served at the famous Brown Derby Restaurant in 1927 and after two-decades he sold the recipe to General Mills for their Betty Crocker Cookbook. Baker’s Dozen: The Secret Cake of the Brown Derby
Source credit: L.A. Meekly - A Los Angeles History Podcast
Al Ravenna, New York World-Telegram and the Sun staff photographer via Wikimedia |
Dr. Seuss Day
March 2
Get ready to celebrate Dr. Seuss Day on March 2nd! It's a wacky and wonderful day dedicated to the imaginative world of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts later settling in La Jolla, CA, Dr. Seuss crafted fantastical stories that continue to inspire readers of all ages.
As a parent and a lifelong fan of Dr. Seuss, I love to share the magic of his stories with my kids. From the zany antics of "Green Eggs and Ham" to the mischievous adventures of "The Cat in the Hat," his books have brought joy and laughter to our family time and time again, my personal all-time favorite is "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street." Many of his books have inspired animated shorts, movies and even plays you can enjoy with your kids.
Did you know that Dr. Seuss wasn't just an author, but also an illustrator? His whimsical drawings are as iconic as his stories, and together, they create magical worlds that ignite the imagination.
Dr. Seuss Day offers parents, grandparents and educators a fantastic opportunity to share the magic of storytelling with our children. Dive into the colorful pages of his books and let your imagination soar. Encourage your kids to explore the themes of friendship, imagination, and perseverance found in Dr. Seuss's tales. You might even embark on a journey to learn more about the man behind the pen name and his contributions to literature and illustration.
But wait, there's more fun to be had on March 2! It's also Read Across America Day / Week, a nationwide celebration of literacy and the joy of reading plus March is also National Reading Month. So, grab your wackiest hat and join in the fun! Explore the colorful world of Dr. Seuss's books and let your imagination soar. Whether you're diving into "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" or taking a trip to "Horton Hears a Who," there's a Dr. Seuss adventure for everyone. Head to your local library and discover new favorites - the sillier, the better!
Dr. Seuss Day and Read Across America Day are not only opportunities for celebration but also chances to spark curiosity and learning in our children. So, let's dive into the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss together and inspire a lifelong love of reading and imagination!
Explore more:
- Read Across America: 50 Kids' Books Set in 50 States
- Celebrate Dr. Seuss With a Cat in the Hat Craft
- Page to Plate: Book-Inspired Eats for Read Across America Day
- Seussville
- Printable activities for kids
- Who is Dr. Seuss?
- Dr. Seuss - American author and illustrator
- Biography: Dr. Seuss
- 6 facts about Dr. Seuss
- The Complete List of Books by Dr. Seuss
- 6 ways to see Dr. Seuss’ influence in San Diego, California
- U.C. San Diego: The Dr. Seuss Collection
National Girl Scout Day
March 12
Hard to believe that the Girl Scouts have been around sine 1912! If you are not familiar with the history - Juliette Gordon Low, nicknamed "Daisy" started the Girl Scouts in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia with a troop of 18 girls who believed they could do Anything! The history of the Girl Scouts is even more remarkable given they began during a time when women in the United States were not yet able to vote and there were limited expectations for what girls and women could accomplish.
Way back when I was in first grade I joined the Girl Scouts, as a Brownie . . . then a Junior and finally a Cadet I have wonderful memories of all I learned, the camping trips, the friends and so much more. I remember at every Brownie meeting saying grace before snacks and singing songs like the Brownie Smile Song and Make New Friends and let's not forget the many camp songs.
It's Cookie-Time, well in my house it's always cookie time, but I'm talking Girl Scout Cookie time! You don't have to be a Girl Scout or even a Girl to love their cookies! Find Girl Scout Cookie, they're typically for sale February - March, you might just find them out in front of a local store selling their tasty treats - consider supporting a local troop with your purchase or donation.
Do you have a daughter who might be interested in joining?
- Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast including Ventura County
- Girl Scouts Greater Los Angeles
Explore the History of the Girl Scouts:
- Timeline: Girl Scouts in History
- Girl Scout History - From 18 girls in Savannah to a global movement to make a difference.
- The Girl Scout Uniform Through the Decades
izzzy71 from Getty Images via Canva |
Start of Daylight Saving Time
March 10 at 2:00 am
Prepare to "spring forward" by setting your clocks an hour ahead, which means it stays light later . . . and we're that much closer to summer. With the sun setting an hour later we have more daylight-time for fun outdoor activities! Not sure about you, but I'm in the love it category, but I know many who do not.
Love It or Hate It ~ Daylight Saving
Ramadan
March 10 - April 9
The holy month of Ramadan is a time of reflection, prayer, and community observed by Muslims worldwide. It begins at sunset and since Muslim holidays follow the Islamic calendar the dates change from year to year. Ramadan is observed in the 9th month of the year, moving a few weeks earlier each year.
For Muslims around the world it's a time for fasting and an opportunity to focus on faith and helping others. The observances include daily prayer, reflection, community, and fasting from sunrise to sunset. As the sun sets the daily fast is broken with prayers and a meal, often shared with family and friends. It also commemorates the time of year when the prophet Mohammad receives the Quran, the holy book for Muslims. Ramadan starts from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next.
- 5 Ways to Celebrate and Learn about Ramadan With Kids
- Key Ramadan dates at a glance
- Watch this video with your family to learn more about Ramadan
Save the Date for next year: Ramadan starts February 28, 2025 and ends March 30, 2025
Getty Images Pro via Canva |
St. Patrick's Day
March 17
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide, but did you know that Southern California has its own vibrant Irish community? Cities like Ventura and Los Angeles often host lively parades and festivals, where you can experience Irish music, dance, and cuisine. Don't forget to wear green and join in the festivities and don't forget to put out the leprechaun trap! Maybe this will finally be the year you catch one of those pesky troublemakers. Plus, a Reuben for dinner... is there any better holiday sandwich?
St. Patrick's Day events: Visit the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas event Calendar
St. Patrick's Day fun, themed crafts and snacks for kids:
☘️ Mac Kid Interviews a Leprechaun
☘️ Easy DIY Shamrock Chain: A Fun St. Patrick's Day Craft for Families
🍀 5 St. Patrick's Day Treats to Make with Your Little Leprechauns
☘️ Check out these three fun and easy crafts!
☘️ Macaroni Kid Crafts: The Best Playdough Recipe
🍀 Leprechaun Masks - St. Patrick's Day Craft
☘️ 3-ingredient “Lucky Leprechaun” Cookie-Candy Bark
☘️ Get Your Shamrock On: 3 Corned Beef Recipes For St. Patrick's Day
☘️ 17 Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day With Kids
☘️ St. Patrick's Day Fun - Kid-Approved: Slime, Modeling Dough and a Trap
🍪 Spiral Sugar Cookies Perfect for any Celebration
🍀 Lucky's Layered Lime Dessert
☘️ Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a Rainbow of Smoothies 🌈
☘️ Macaroni Menu: Rainbow Fruit Skewers with Yogurt Dip 🌈
☘️ Easy Rainbow Activities To Do With Kids 🌈
First Day of Spring
March 19
Spring is coming - yeah! The first day of spring is also known as the spring equinox, watch the National Geographic video above for all the info you need to answer your kids' questions about the equinox and the science behind the changing seasons.
Read more: Almanac and Farmers Almanac.
Get a head start on Spring cleaning?
- Back-to-Basics Spring Cleaning - A more Natural Approach 🍋
- 3 Printables to Make Spring Cleaning a Breeze
- 8 Ways to Get Kids to Help with Chores
- Get a Jump on Spring Cleaning with these 80 Things to Declutter NOW!
creativeelixir Getty Images via Canva |
Nowruz / Persian New Year
March 19 at 8:06:26 pm PST
Nowruz, the Persian New Year, marks the arrival of spring and is celebrated by millions around the world, including Southern California's large Iranian-American community. Pronounced 'NO-rooz,' Nowruz means “New Day” in Farsi. This important celebration is observed in Iran, formerly known as Persia, as well as other countries throughout the Middle East and Central Asia.
Traditionally, families celebrate Nowruz by cleaning their homes and enjoying a big feast. A table is usually arranged with seven items that start with the letter "s" in the Persian language of Farsi, such as sprouts - 'sabzeh' and dried fruit - 'senjed'. Each item symbolizes a principle, such as love or rebirth. Some people also exchange gifts or attend street festivals to ring in the new year.
To experience traditional Nowruz customs firsthand, consider visiting a local cultural center or joining community events. You might have the opportunity to witness the Haft-Seen table and even participate in the symbolic act of jumping over bonfires to symbolize renewal and cleansing.
More about Nowruz:
- Happy Nowruz! Celebrate Spring and a Brand New Year with Your Family!
- Persian Mama: Nowruz - Persian New Year
- National Geographic: How different countries celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year
- Iran Chamber Society: No-Rooz, The Iranian New Year at Present Times
DenisKuvaev via Canva |
World Down Syndrome Day
March 21
World Down Syndrome Day signifies the uniqueness of the triplication 'trisomy' of the 21st chromosome - causing Down syndrome. It's also and opportunity to encourage learning and acceptance of differences. On this day, people with Down syndrome, along with their families and friends, participate in activities and events to raise public awareness and advocate for the rights of people with Down syndrome.
2024 theme: End The Stereotypes / Speak up to End The Stereotypes
March also happens to be Developmental Disabilities Awareness month. You can start at home by helping your child learn to embrace differences in all.
Helpful Macaroni KID articles:
- 5 Great Kid Books Featuring Characters With Developmental Disabilities
- 'Aaron Slater, Illustrator' Shows Being You Is What Matters
- Embracing Disability: Tips From a Mom
- 3 Tips to Help Your Child Embrace Disability
- Raising Joey: One Mom's Story of Having a Child With Down Syndrome
- My Story: Parenting THAT Child
- 🥰 Celebrating Our Children With Down Syndrome
- Tips for Talking With Your Kids About Autism
- The Santa Barbara Zoo is Now a Certified Autism Center (CAC)
tomertu Getty Images via Canva |
Purim
March 23-24
The festival of Purim begins and ends at sundown as do all Jewish holidays and since it follows the Jewish Calendar, the dates changes from year to year, but typically land in March or on occasion it can be celebrated as early as end of February. Purim is a fun and festive Jewish holiday with special ceremonies and traditions including festive foods, dressing in costume, attending festive celebrations, carnivals, eating hamantaschen - triangle shaped cookies plus lots of noise making! Purim is one of my favorite holidays, I have fond memories of dressing up and playing games at the Purim Carnival as do my kids.
Please know you don't need to be Jewish to join in the local festivities at synagogues or Jewish centers you can also celebrate at home with fun activities and yummy recipes.
Hooray for Hamentashen: A Perfect Purim Pastry
Purim Events - Visit the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas event calendar to find Purim celebrations and carnivals.
- 🎭 Mamma Gilah! - Thousand OaksMarch 24, 2024
- 🎭 TEC Community Purim Carnival 2024 - Thousand OaksMarch 24, 2024
- 🎭 Purim Carnival - Thousand OaksMarch 24, 2024
- 🎭 Purim at Chabad Thousand OaksMarch 24, 2024
- 🎭 Purim Carnival with a Mexican Fiesta in Agoura HillsMarch 24, 2024
- Chabad - Children's guide to Purim
- Purim Coloring Pages & Crafts
- Homemade Purim Costume Ideas
- Purim Recipes for Kids
- Chocolate-Filled Funfetti Hamantaschen
- Purim Foods
PJ Library - Celebrating Purim With Your Family
- The Purim Story for Kids
- Video: The Story of Purim in ASL by Douglas Ridloff
- Purim-Themed MadLibs
- Purim finger-puppets
- Super Easy Hamantaschen Recipes to Make With Kids
- 18 Great Ideas for Purim: Easy costumes, hamantaschen recipes and graggers / noisemakers
Save the date for next year: Purim will start March 13, 2025 and end on March 14, 2025
Festival of Holi
March 25
The two-day celebration of Holi is a Hindu spring festival known to many as the Festival of Colors! With its rich history, Holi is celebrated not only in India but also all over the world. It commemorates the triumph of good over evil and the changing of the seasons from winter to spring.
Given large Indian community in both the Conejo Valley and Southern California you'll often find local celebrations to bring your family where participants joyfully douse each other in vibrant colors! Visit the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas calendar for local events.
Learn more:
- Holi, The Hindu Festival of Colors, Is Celebrated With Vibrant Hues And Flavors
- Holi: Festival of Colors
- Holi is a Hindu festival celebrating the start of spring - download toolkit to learn about Holi
- Holi 50 Activity Book
- Let's Celebrate Holi! - Maya & Neel's India Adventure Series
Save the date for next year: Holi begins March 14, 2025
Johnrob from Getty Images Signature via Canva |
National Vietnam War Veterans Day
March 29
This is a day to commemorate and honor all the men and women who served our country during the Vietnam War. Support our local Veterans! Find a local organizations that support Veterans or contact local Senior organizations including Assisted Living facilities and Nursing homes as they often have many residents who are Veterans, please do call ahead to see what's appropriate. See a Veteran? Thank them for their service and teach your children to do the same!
Veterans Homes of California: West Los Angeles | Ventura
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- What Children Can Learn About Service from Veterans
- 4 Kid-Friendly Ways to Thank Veterans
- 5 Ways You Family Can say Thank You to Veterans
AnnaBreit from Getty Images via Canva |
Easter
March 31
Easter, an important religious holiday for Christians, is also a burst of fun for families filled with egg decorating, playful hunts, and sweet treats. It's a perfect day to celebrate spring with laughter and joy. Hop to it! 🐰
Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, for many families this important Sunday morning is spent attending church services, gathering with family and friends to enjoy a meal. It's also a day lots of kids look forward to because it means Egg Hunts, baskets filled with fun treats and they are lucky a visit with the Easter bunny.
Easter Family-Fun Things to Do: Crafts, Recipes, Egg Hunts and Bunnies
- Non-Candy Surprises for Easter Fun
- Easter Basket Ideas for Tweens and Teens
- How to Make Natural Dyes For Your Easter Eggs
- Surprise Your Kids With These 7 Easter Bunny Shenanigans
- Hop into Spring With These DIY Salt Dough Easter Eggs
- Preschool Craft: DIY Bunny Stamp for Easter
- DIY Easter Egg Garland as Easy as 1, 2, 3
Visit the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas event calendar for local Easter things to do with your kids!
By Joel Levine - Provided by photographer via email., CC BY 3.0, httpscommons.wikimedia.orgwindex.phpcurid=6265009 |
Cesar Chavez Day
March 31
March 31st is a day of significance, marking both the birthday of Cesar Chavez and National Farm Workers Day. It also coincides with the last week of March, which is celebrated as National Farm Workers Week.
Cesar Chavez, born on March 31, 1927, in Yuma, Arizona, is celebrated as a Mexican-American folk hero. He moved to California with his parents who were farm workers, and he later joined them in the fields, for a short time they lived nearby in Oxnard. It was his work in the fields that led him to community activism and civil rights work. Drawing inspiration from great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. His legacy continues to inspire social justice movements to this day.
Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association behind the famous California grapes workers strike and consumer boycott later co-founding the United Farm Workers organization along with Dolores Huerta. The UFW still protects workers to this day. His final days in 1993 were spent fighting for farm workers in San Luis, Arizona.
Please note: Cesar Chavez Day is also a State of California Holiday, some public offices and libraries are closed on this day.
Visit: Cesar Chavez Memorial, San Fernando, CA
Learn more:
- Cesar Chavez Foundation
- Cesar Chavez: The Life Behind A Legacy Of Farm Labor Rights
- United Farm Workers - The Story of Cesar Chavez
- Workers United: The Delano Grape Strike and Boycott
- RFK and Cesar Chavez
- The Death of César Chávez
In addition to honoring Cesar Chavez, National Farm Workers Week recognizes the hard work and contributions of agricultural workers across the nation. It's a time to reflect on the importance of their labor and the food they provide for our families. Pretty much everything we eat is brought to us by hardworking men and women braving the heat and the cold on farms not too far from the Conejo Valley, all over California and around the world. The next time you're enjoying something from the earth with your family, let's reflect on their significance and continue to teach our children about their importance and that of justice and equality.
baseimage via Canva |
International Transgender Day of Visibility
March 31
This day highlights the achievements of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, while also underscoring their ongoing struggles. It's an opportunity to educate and advocate for equality and support. Want to know how you can help? Visit GLSEN for resources.
All Month Long
Women in NY City 1907_1916 | Credit: the Everett Collection |
Women's History Month
March 1-31
March is Women's History Month, originating from the first International Women's Day held on March 8, 1911. It's a time to celebrate the contributions and achievements of women throughout history. From trailblazing leaders to unsung heroes, let's honor the indelible mark women have made on our world. Join us in recognizing and empowering women's voices and stories this March!
- Inspiring Movies to Help You Celebrate Women's History Month
- 5 Ways To Celebrate the Phenomenal Women In Your Life
- Passing the Torch: Wisdom & Guidance From Mothers With Daughters
- 5 Ways To Celebrate International Women's Day, March 5
Event: Sponsored Ladies Coffee Mixer & International Women's Day Celebration: March 9th
Take a look at the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas calendar for a list of family-friendly events happening in Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village and in nearby areas in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
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