March 21st seems to be a day for celebrations – so many varied ones in fact. So today, I picked a few random ones to share with you. As we spend part of our lives counting down to various events, deadlines, celebrations, and etcs, why not also celebrate counting down itself (it is 3 – 21 today!).

Read on to discover some observations and learn about them as well as ideas on how to celebrate/observe them. Join me and others on Thursday 13 here where the only requirement is to come up with a list of 13 anythings (in my case, it is 13 events)

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Counting Down to Events: Quirky, Whimsical, Important & more

Here is to counting down to different celebrations, observations, events, whether they are your own personal ones or something everyone gets together for; whether they are quirky, whimsical, important, fun, or something else.

International Color Day

Color or colour? Does not really matter actually, right? Though I grew up spelling such words with the ‘u,’ I have since learned to leave it out after moving to the US.

Regardless, March 21st celebrates International Color Day, or rather celebrates colors, in all their vibrancy and dullness, in all their shades. The AIC (International Colour Association) picked this because it is around the equinox, making the duration of day and night approximately equal in length around the world.

Ideas to celebrate color:

• Create a colorful art project. Use any medium you wish..
• The festival of Holi is around the corner, and many places around the world mark the festival locally. Check out if your area has any events for this vibrant festival. Check out this article in the SF Standard for a guide to Holi celebrations in the Bay Area.
• Dress colorfully!
• Go for a nature walk to look for colors outdoors.

International Day of Forests

It started in November 1971 when members at the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s 16th session voted to establish “World Forestry Day” on March 21 annually. And years later, in 2012, the United Nations General Assembly declared this date the International Day of Forests to celebrate them and to raise awareness of their importance to humankind.

The theme for this year is Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World.

Here are few books set in forests for you to enjoy. Book link takes you to external site to buy/read the book, while the bracketed link takes you to my review post or another post where i mention the book (where applicable)

• Bridge to Terabithia (interesting fact)
• Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest (review)
• Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
• Forest World
• Journey to the Last River (review)
• The Jungle Book (cool posts here and here among many others)
• The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream (mention)
• Tuck Everlasting (mention)
• A Walk in the Woods (review)
• Winnie the Pooh (post here)
• So many fairy tales and folklore

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

The UN chose March 21 as the date for International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in honor of 69 people who died on this date in 1960. The police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws.”

Read more about the date and the UN’s efforts here, and let us do our part in ending discrimination of any and every type. Let us remember that first, we are humankind.

You can check out this post for books to inform and enable conversations about race and more.

Memory Day

Looks like March 21st is also Memory Day. I could not find out why this date or when this quirky unofficial holiday started but why not have a day to celebrate the amazing human memory. We can also use it to raise awareness of memory issues through various conditions (including concussions, dementia, Alzheimers, and more).

And 👍🏻, also use it as a way to go down memory lane, or make new ones to cherish for later! Maybe create special traditions that you and others will then be counting down to (looking forward to) in the future.

National Common Courtesy Day

A day to encourage acts of kindness, respect, and courtesy towards others in everyday interactions.

• Say please and thank you.
• Hold the door open for someone (including the door to an elevator you’re in when you see someone trying to get to it).
• Say hello.
• Let the car merge, pass ahead of you.
• Smile.

(Counting Down to) National Countdown Day

It is 3-21 after all! I know, I know, it is only written that way in some places but then, it is fun to notice these things and then make fun observances of them too, like National Countdown Day.

What special occasion or event are you counting down to at this time?

Rosie the Riveter Day

On March 21, designated Rosie the Riveter Day by the US Congress in 2017, we recognize the important part women played in World War II. Let us use this day during Women’s History Month to push for continued equity for women.

Mark with with some fun by rocking the pose of Rosie the Riveter.

Spring Fairy Fun Day

Another quirky, of-unknown-origin, and totally whimsical holiday! But for me, given it is around the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere, as well as in this week celebrating folktales and fables, it makes total sense! So why not go ahead and have some spring fairy fun (if not today, then this weekend works too, or any other spring day!).

Here are some ideas to have some fun the spring fairy way:

• Dress to mark this occasion. A ‘spring-y’ flowy fairy-like dress maybe, or just a crown, or sport a wand!
• Plant flowers.
• Have a picnic outdoors.
• Make some fairy houses. Check out this book for ideas:
  • Fairy Houses: How to Create Whimsical Homes for Fairy Folk by Sally J. Smith (Nature Crafts). Read my review here.
• Read fairy tales!
• More here and here.

National Renewable Energy Day

In today’s world, it is even more important to learn ways to protect our environment, and one way to do so is renewable energy. This day is to create awareness about the importance of renewable sources of energy and to figure out ways to reduce our dependence on energy itself maybe.

• Why is US energy demand soaring – putting climate goals at risk? (Guardian article)
• Check out resources and learn more at energy.gov

World Down Syndrome Day

Down Syndrome occurs due to trisomy of the 21st chromosonal pair, hence the 21st date of the third month for World Down Syndrome Day. Check out the link for this day’s official page to find resources and information.

This year’s theme is to End The Stereotypes, and we really need to work towards that goal.

World Poetry Day

March 21st celebrates poetry with World Poetry Day

Freeversing in rhyme for Quadrille Monday and Poetics Everything We See.

For Quadrille, the prompt is ‘sharp’ and the idea is to write a poem of just 44 words (not counting the title), including some form of the word sharp.

For Poetics, choose one of René Magritte’s artworks featured in this post, or you may choose an artwork found in one of the linked articles. Please be sure to let us know which work you’ve chosen. Look beyond the obvious. What layers of meaning do you see? How does the image resonate with underlying parts of your story? Show us that.

I wrote this poem inspired by Magritte’s ‘The Son of Man‘ and ‘Golconda‘ though I don’t think I satisfied the ‘look beyond the obvious’ aspect of the poetics prompt. Will have to write another poem for that (wip).

( C )Lone Man
The son of man, whatever else one thought
Was sure a sharp dresser,
His suit – top not-
-ch, bespoke, I gather..
And while his identity was “unknown”
Hidden behind that green mask,
I’ll say if you ask
He was kind of easy to clone!
~ Vidya @ LadyInReadWrites

For Poetry Form: Ottova Rima

The ask is to *Write an octave or two or three following the ottavo rima structure in response to the challenge.” The ottavo rima is.

• a fast narrative.
• stanzaic, written in any number of octaves.
• metered, most often iambic pentameter sometimes tetrameter. Its Spanish counterpart, the Ottava Real is hendecasyllabic (11 syllable lines).
• rhymed, Rhyme scheme is abababcc.
• best for blending serious and satirical attitudes.
• composed with the final couplet that sums up and brings a twist or enlightenment to the content of the stanza.

I tried to adhere to the structure as much as I could annd ended up using another of Magritte’s paintings for inspiration – Homesickness this time – pictured in the dverse post – Everything We See

Overheard on Overseas Whispered Flights
These wings, they took me way too far, over hills
And oceans two. Across lands known and unknown.
In fact, took me thru those sleazy gossip mills
too! You know, the ones where truth is overthrown?
And while I long for the familiar; still
There is something about realms where dreams are sewn.
So I am glad for my constant companion
This strength within in the form of a lion.
~ Vidya @ ladyinreadwrites

World Puppetry Day

The tale of Pinnochio, which seems kind of ancient, but actually not, was published in 1883. Which is really recent considering that puppetry’s roots go as far back as 3000 BCE (source). Impressive, right?

This year’s theme for World Puppetry Day is Be the Light (love it!)

World Water Day

An exception to the rest of the celebrations since World Water Day is on the 22nd of March, but then again, it is WATER, so I had to. The theme for this year is ‘Water for Peace’.

And Now, the End of This Post (Were You Counting Down to it?!)

Dear reader, if you made it here, thank you! Which of these events do you think you might celebrate (either this year or the next)? What other celebrations do you have around the corner?