This season...

In March

“In like a lion and out like a lamb” is a phrase that has long described the third month of the year. March is derived from the Latin word Martius which is taken from Mars, the Roman god of war. It is appropriate since, in Roman times, March was when it warmed up enough to resume campaigns of war.

While April was once the second month of the year, it is now — obviously — the fourth. This change happened around 700 BC. The Latin verb, aperire, seems to be a reference to the opening or blossoming of flowers and trees. April has many days of celebrations and ceremony. Despite its place at the beginning of April, no one is certain exactly how April Fool’s Day was born.