March is a month that offers much to celebrate from its very first day, St. David's Day, onwards.

St David died in AD589 - his monastic home was at Glyn Rhosyn (St Davids, Dyfed) While the monastery was being built the Irish leader Boia attacked the masons - David intervened and converted Boia to Christianity - Boia' s wife sent her handmaidens, naked, to lure the masons away from completing the monastery. David talked to his men of the gospels and not one tempted.

David is said to have subsisted on leeks. Long after he died he appeared to King Cadwallon's army at Hatfield Moors in Yorkshire and urged them to wear a leek on their hat to distinguish themselves from the army of King Edwin of Northumbria. - which was beaten.

On farms the leek had its value to ensure that vital ploughing was completed. Anyone too ill to finish the ploughing was visited by a ploughman carrying a sackful of leeks from which a strong stew was prepared - which purged the stomach.

Daffodil flower heads were used in the West Country for the same purpose but were left alone and regarded as 'past tradition,' probably, when it was realised that their poisonous effects were putting paid to too many ploughmen.

Just down the road, on March 5th , our neighbours will be celebrating St Piran's Day in memory of the 5th Century hermit who, it is claimed, taught Cornishmen the secrets of mining and whose protection is still sought by miners around the world.

Piran dolls or engravings, were left at the entrances of tin mines to invoke his blessing and similar traditions survive in many other countries, whatever is being mined.

Just down the road, and closer to home, the people of Crediton in one direction and those of Widecombe in the other might be celebrating on March 6 th the anniversary of the death of Tom Cobley of Puddlecombe Park near Crediton who ended his mortal journeying in 1794 aged 96.

March 6th is far more likely to celebrated by millions throughout the world this year as Mothering Sunday, not to be confused with Mothers day, and altogether different but nevertheless popular tradition first established only as long ago as 1907.

The mediaeval Mothering Sunday is ancient by comparison and totally unrelated to its American twentieth century cousin. Both honour Motherhood, but our festival has not lost its connection with Mother Church while the American version is a secular anniversary.

After her Mother died, Miss Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia dreamed up the idea of having a day set aside on which her fellow Americans would honour their Mothers. She started the ball rolling by arranging for a special service to be held in her local church on the anniversary of her mother's death and asked everyone attending it to wear a white carnation. Within a year she had convinced the residents of her home town that they should celebrate Mothers Day as a regular 'custom.'

She then turned her attention on Congress and managed to get her Mother's day recognised nationally after Congress approved, in 1914, that the second Sunday in May should be established throughout the USA as Mother's Day. It has been that way ever since with gifts exchanged, cards sent, and with red flowers being worn to honour the living Mum's and white ones worn to honour and remember the dead.

Back in the west country March 7 th can still be celebrated as it once was as Hopper Cake Night.

Traditionally by this time of year seeding was completed, preferably by this night.

The 'hopper' was the seed basket and the cakes were usually fruitcakes or buns that were served with spiced ale.

The 7th was also a lucky day for Chickens and while it was suggested that

A whistling wife or a crowing hen

Is neither good for God nor men

Poultry keepers were astute enough to know that 'A chicken in March means eggs for a year' and that if they were fortunate enough to have a black cockerel hatched in March they should rear the chick and keep it as a protection against evil spirits: his crowing terrifies them.

Some cockerels were less lucky, perhaps, if destined to be added to the popular Cock Ale that was renowned for its BODY.

The ancient recipe required the brewer master to take eight gallons of Ale; then take a March Cock and boil him well; and take four pounds of raisins well stoned, two or three nutmegs, three or four flakes of mace and half a pound of dates. Beat all these in a mortar and pestle, and put to them two quarts of the best sherry-sack. Put all this into the Ale, with the Cock, and stop it close six or seven days, then strain and bottle it: after a month you may drink it.

Well, that takes care of the first week of March and the others are just as full of celebratory days, not forgetting the 17th , St Patrick's Day, that people throughout the UK can genuinely enjoy.

There is a Scot's claim that Patrick was born near Glasgow but was so holy that the Devil sent Witches and Demons to kill him - he escaped to Ireland.

There is a similar tale in Wales that Patrick was born in old Pembrokeshire.

But - there is historic evidence to show that Patrick was born in England in C5 th AD at Bannavem Taburniae a Roman village in Nothamptonshire.

Drinks all round?

20th brings the start of spring.

21 st March brings the Vernal Equinox and catapults us all towards celebrating and enjoying Easter.

Even in this modern world Easter remains a moon-fixed date despite it being a major event in the Christian calendar. Easter Day is the Sunday after the first full moon following the Vernal Equinox on March 21st and has been recognised as such by the Christian church since 525.

Lent, Whitsun, Hocktide, Rogation and Ascension Day are all determined by the date set for Easter and the later they are the closer they coincide with Roman and Celtic festivals from which many of our traditions originated.

Not this year though. The first full moon after the Equinox appears on Friday, March 25 th , which is the ancient Lady Day as well as Good Friday. Easter Sunday on the 27 th also introduces Summertime and Easter Monday adds to the weekend of Christian celebration that coincides with Pagan, Celtic and Roman festivities; as well as reviving memories of the lost New Year.

Lady Day, 25th March, was the day on which, until 1752, the New Year began. It was, and remains, a significant day in the legal calendar and the refusal by bankers and many others to accept the 'lose' of eleven days and the placing of New Year to January 1 st explains why we still have our tax year related to April 5 th .

Romans similarly respected the day that marked the spring equinox, when their goddess, Hilaria, was reunited with her lover.

For the Celts, and any whose astronomical observations were so accurate for thousands of years before this Christian era dawned, the spring Equinox brought that time when the light of day begins to triumph over the darkness of night.

The goddess, Brigit was celebrated by them as she brought new life to the earth, suckling seeds into growth, livestock for food, and giving birth to spring.

There's much to celebrate in March.

© Roy & Ursula Radford