March in Greek culture
March, is the first month of spring creating optimism for weather improvement and the summer to come.
A month with special significance to the Greeks as it includes the greatest national celebration of the Greek revolution of the 1821 anniversary but also the great religious celebration of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, both celebrated on the 25th.
March is always the month of Lent (fasting) so symbolically the phrase "but is March missing from Lent?" is said of a person who never misses an event or celebration.
The sighting of swallows arriving from warmer countries to build their nests, along with the blossoming of almond trees, are among the many nature's signs of spring's arrival with a significant impact on Greek folk tradition.
The Spring carols, the customary wrist-wearing bracelet, made of twisted white and red thread, and many popular stories and phrases about March, express the Greeks' perception of the month, through tradition.
Many stories try to explain March’s unstable weather, resuming with the popular phrase «Μarch, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing»