March 8th:  Mardi Gras marks the end of Carnival and the beginning of the Christian fasting of Lent.  The biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the USA is in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rio de Janeiro in Brazil also has a HUGE celebration.  Find a Brazilian au pair in our cluster and ask her all about it.

March 9th: Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Christian tradition of faith.  Some Christians put a smudge of ash on their forehead at a church service on this day.  You may see people walking around with marks on their forehead today.

March 13th:  Daylight Savings Time.  Be sure to set your clocks forward before going to sleep.  The kids maybe groggy this week as they adjust to the time change.  Please be sensitive to that as you go through the week.

March 17th: St. Patrick’s Day.  This Irish holiday has been celebrated in the USA since 1737.  Traditional icons that mark the holiday:  Leprechauns, Pots of Gold, Rainbows, Shamrocks and the Color Green!  There will be local parades in many of our towns…Stamford, Danbury and of course in NYC.  It might be fun to go and experience this tradition.

March 30th:  Passover Begins.