March

March is a month for remembering saints, mothers and those less fortunate with several charity doles. Either Shrovetide and Lent or Easter will fall during the month depending on the year, with sports and either pancakes or eggs to enjoy.


Some events take place on exactly the same date every year, regardless of which day of the week they fall upon. The following table shows events which are fixed in this way:

DayEventArticle
1Cardiff St David's Day ParadeArticle
1Lanark Whuppity ScoorieArticle
5Cornwall St Pirans Day ProcessionsArticle
17St Patrick's DayArticle
20Durham St Cuthbert's DayArticle
20London Druid Spring Equinox CeremonyArticle
21Oxford Thomas Cranmer CommemorationArticle
25Tichborne DoleArticle

Some event dates differ from year to year in order for them to fall on a weekend or during a particular week of the year, for example the 3rd week in January. The following table shows events where dates may vary in this manner:

DateEventArticle
Weekday in February or MarchLondon Spital SermonArticle
A Sunday in MarchDorking Wife Carrying RacesArticle
9 (latest possible date )Collop MondayArticle
10 (latest possible date)Shrove TuesdayArticle
Sunday nearest 11thNewark Penny Loaf Day and Bombshell SermonArticle
11 (latest possible date)Ash WednesdayArticle
15 (earliest possible date)Palm SundayArticle
Weekend mid-monthThriplow Daffodil WeekendArticle
Sunday nearest 17thLondon St Patricks Day ParadeArticle
20 (earliest possible date)Good FridayArticle
21 (earliest possible date)Easter SaturdayArticle
3rd ThursdayKiplingcotes DerbyArticle
3rd ThursdayLondon Oranges and Lemons ServiceArticle
22 (earliest possible date)Easter SundayArticle
23 (earliest possible date)Easter MondayArticle
Weekend late in MonthHawick Reivers FestivalArticle
Late weekend in March or AprilWhitby Gothic WeekendArticle
Last ThursdayOld Bolingbroke Candle and Pin AuctionArticle
A Saturday in March or AprilDalemain Marmalade Awards & FestivalArticle
Late March/early April (usually a Sunday)London Spitalfields Goat RaceArticle
Late March/ early April (usually a Sunday)University Boat RaceArticle

Shrove Tuesday is the day before the penitential season of Lent. Lent is the forty day period immediately before Easter, and because Easter is a movable feast, Shrovetide and Lent are also on differing dates from year to year. Shrove Tuesday can fall any time between February 3rd and March 10th, depending on whether Easter is early or late. The day following Shrove Tuesday is called Ash Wednesday (it’s the first day of Lent), and the day before Shrove Tuesday is called Collop Monday. Because Lent was a season of penance and fasting, it was customary to use up eggs by making pancakes and to let off steam with boisterous games. Some of these traditions survive today.

The fourth Sunday in Lent is Mothering Sunday, the fifth is Carlin Sunday, and the sixth and final Sunday in Lent is Palm Sunday, which falls a week before Easter Sunday.

DateEventArticle
Collop MondayCollopsArticle
Monday before Jedburgh Ba'Hobkirk HandbaArticle
Shrove TuesdayAlnwick FootballArticle
Shrove TuesdayAshbourne FootballArticle
Shrove TuesdayAtherstone FootballArticle
Shrove TuesdayChester Cheese RollingArticle
Shrove TuesdayClovelly Lentsherd or Tin Can NightArticle
Shrove TuesdayCorfe Purbeck Marblers MeetingArticle
Shrove TuesdayDurweston ShrovingArticle
Shrove TuesdayEast Hendred ShrovingArticle
Shrove TuesdayGittisham TiptoeingArticle
Shrove TuesdayHarpole Clay Pipe Smoking ContestArticle
Shrove TuesdayLondon Inter Livery Pancake RaceArticle
Shrove TuesdayOlney Pancake RaceArticle
Shrove TuesdayPancake RacesArticle
Shrove TuesdayScarborough SkippingArticle
Shrove TuesdaySedgefield FootballArticle
Shrove TuesdaySt Columb HurlingArticle
Shrove TuesdayToddington Conger Hill Witch ListeningArticle
Shrove TuesdayWestminster School Pancake GreazeArticle
Ash WednesdayAshbourne FootballArticle
Thursday following Shrove Tuesday (usually but see Helpful Hints)Jedburgh BaArticle
Ash Wednesday to Easter MondaySt Albans Alban Hot Cross BunsArticle
Saturday following Jedburgh Ba'Ancrum BaArticle
Monday following Jedburgh Ba'Denholm BaArticle
2nd Saturday following Shrove TuesdaySt Columb HurlingArticle
Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent)Coddington Mothering SundayArticle
Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent)Mothering Sunday/ Mothers' DayArticle
Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent)Upwey Clipping the ChurchArticle
Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent)Whitley Chapel Clipping the ChurchArticle
Carlin Sunday (5th Sunday in Lent)Carlin PeasArticle
Palm Sunday weekend and Good FridayBury Pace EggersArticle
Palm Sunday (6th Sunday in Lent)Battle of Towton Walks (formerly Service & Re-enactment)Article
Palm Sunday (6th Sunday in Lent)Herefordshire Pax Cake DistributionArticle

Easter was the most important festival in the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection. Easter has no settled date, but is fixed by a complex system based upon the phases of the moon and the equinox – it usually falls between late March and late April. Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday, which is followed by Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Hocktide is the Monday and Tuesday following Easter Monday.

DateEventArticle
Ash Wednesday to Easter MondaySt Albans Alban Hot Cross BunsArticle
Palm Sunday weekend and Good FridayBury Pace EggersArticle
Last Thursday of Easter TermUfton Marvyn DoleArticle
Maundy ThursdayLeigh (Manchester) Henry Travice CharityArticle
Maundy ThursdayRoyal MaundyArticle
Good Friday & Easter WeekendEaster Pilgrimages and Passion PlaysArticle
Good FridayCalder Valley Pace Egg PlaysArticle
Good FridayChiddingstone Real FootballArticle
Good FridayCressbrook Good Friday BandArticle
Good FridayDunstable Orange RollingArticle
Good FridayFenton Bebibell (Near Morvah) Dolly DunkingArticle
Good FridayRingmer (formerly Alciston & Firle) Long-Rope SkippingArticle
Good FridayHartfield DoleArticle
Good FridayHastings Stations of the Cross Passion Play and MarblesArticle
Good FridayHorndon-on-the-Hill BunsArticle
Good FridayLondon Butterworth Charity & Widows SixpenceArticle
Good FridayLondon Widow's Bun CeremonyArticle
Good FridayMansfield Mary Mallatratt's DoleArticle
Good FridayPenistone Flour DoleArticle
Good FridayTinsley Green Marbles ChampionshipArticle
Good FridayWorkington FootballArticle
Easter SaturdayBacup Brittannia Coconut DancersArticle
Easter SaturdayMarket Harborough Hubbard SingingArticle
Easter SundayDinas Bran PilgrimageArticle
Easter SundayLondon St Bride's Egg RollingArticle
Easter SundayNewcastle Easter Vigil Rooftop SingingArticle
Easter SundayRawtenstall Clog Cobbin ChampionshipsArticle
Easter Monday Biddenden DoleArticle
Easter MondayFurness Pasche Egg PlayArticle
Easter MondayGawthorpe World Coal Carrying ChampionshipArticle
Easter MondayGreat Finborough Race of the BoggmenArticle
Easter MondayGreenwich Easter Monday LiftingArticle
Easter MondayHallaton Hare Pie Scramble & Bottle KickingArticle
Easter MondayHedley Barrel RaceArticle
Easter MondayLondon Harness Horse ParadeArticle
Easter MondayMorpeth Easter OrangesArticle
Easter MondayMossley & Middleton Pace Egg PlaysArticle
Easter MondayPeterlee World Egg Jarping ChampionshipsArticle
Easter MondayPreston Egg RollingArticle
Easter MondayWinchelsea MayoringArticle
Easter TuesdayBristol Tuppenny Starvers Charity DoleArticle
Easter TuesdaySouth Cave Jobson Charity Bequest & SermonArticle
Easter TuesdayWorkington FootballArticle
Thursday after EasterRatcliffe Culey Lane SettingArticle
Weekend after EasterMorpeth Northumbrian Gathering & Border CavalcadeArticle
Saturday after EasterWorkington FootballArticle
Hock Tuesday (Tuesday of the week after Easter week)Hungerford Hocktide & Tutti MenArticle