Tag: Daylight Saving Time

March Moments-2024

March 2024 brings unique events: five Sundays, Daylight Saving Time, St. Patrick’s Day, Palm Sunday, and Easter. Medical students discover residencies, and National Doctor’s Day occurs. Vietnam War Veterans Day coincides with Good Friday. The month also marks the arrival of spring and honors Vietnam veterans.

February, the shortest month of the year, is followed by March, one of the longest at 31 days. This year February had some other interesting twists as far as special days, and so does March.

Sunday Specials

There are five Sundays in March this year, and four of them have special significance.

Daylight Saving Time

Depending on where you live, you may need to remember to spring forward into Daylight Saving Time

Most of the United States will change to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, March 1o, 2024 by setting your clock one hour ahead unless your device changes automatically. If you have to awaken at a specified time, you will “lose” an hour of sleep unless you go to sleep an hour earlier.

Your body will tell the difference until your sleep cycle adjusts; I know mine always does.  WebMD offers these tips to make the change easier.

St. Patrick’s Day

Of course, you know that March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, and in 2024 it also falls on a Sunday.

In Chicago, Illinois, they dye the river green to celebrate (photo by my son Ryan when he lived in Chicago).

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday, a special day in the Christian faith, always falls on a Sunday, but not always in March. Next year it will be in April. The earliest date that Palm Sunday can fall is March 15 (when Easter Sunday falls on March 22); the latest date is April 18 (when Easter Sunday falls on April 25).

Palm Sunday recalls the story in the New Testament of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, greeted by people waving palm branches.

Easter

Like Palm Sunday, Easter moves between March and April.

Easter along with Christmas are the most observed Christian holy days for Christians, although they also are celebrated as secular holidays by many people. Easter marks the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion on Good Friday. For many Christian churches, Easter is the joyful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence.

Also happening in March

Welcome Spring

We will welcome the first day of Spring, Tuesday, March 19,  in the northern hemisphere, with the occurrence of the vernal equinox. In the southern half of the globe, people will enter autumn.

Health tips for spring you can use now

Most of the United States switches to Daylight Saving Time on the second Sunday in March, with some states considering year-round DST. The first day of Spring in March brings the vernal equinox, leading to increased daylight until the summer solstice. The equinox signifies roughly equal day and night in both hemispheres. Spring brings health…

Keep reading

 

Residents’ Match Day

It’s the day graduating medical students find out what residency program they will join through the National Resident Matching Program, which “matches” them with available positions in residencies all over the United States.

Why should you care? This matching process determines who will care for our medical needs in the next 30-40 years; our family physicians, internists, pediatricians, general surgeons, obstetricians, dermatologists, psychiatrists, and a multitude of other medical specialties. Most doctors will continue in the same specialty their entire career, although some switch after a few or many years.

The surprising new doctors caring for you

Who will be your next doctor? What will your future doctor look like?

Your doctor within the next 10-20 years is likely in medical school or a residency program in a United States medical center right now. Within 1-10 years, they will join the ranks of practicing physicians, while some currently in practice will change…

Keep reading

National Doctor’s Day

March 30 has been designated National Doctor’s Day in the United States. You may not have heard of a day to honor doctors.

image from the American Medical Association

The first Doctors’ Day observance was March 30, 1933, in Winder, Georgia. The idea came from a doctor’s wife, Eudora Brown Almond,  and the date was the anniversary of the first use of general anesthetic in surgery(although several other dates also claim that distinction.)

The Barrow County (Georgia) Medical Society Auxiliary proclaimed the day “Doctors’ Day,” which was celebrated by mailing cards to physicians and their wives and by placing flowers on the graves of deceased doctors.

In 1990, the U.S. Congress established a National Doctors’ Day first celebrated on March 30, 1991.

Of course, the most important physician for you to honor is your own personal physician.

 

Vietnam War Veterans Day

In my home, we observe not only Doctor’s Day, for me, but also Vietnam War Veterans Day, because my husband is one.

 Vietnam War Veterans Day commemorates the sacrifices of Vietnam veterans and their families, part of a national effort to recognize the men and women who didn’t receive a proper welcome upon returning home more than 40 years ago.

The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act, signed into law in 2017, designates March 29 of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

On that day in 1973, the last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam and the last prisoners of war held in North Vietnam arrived on American soil. It is also the date President Nixon chose for the first Vietnam Veterans Day in 1974.

Read about an actual event in the Vietnam War, written by my husband Raymond Oglesby.

Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath Kindle Edition

Read it free with Kindle Unlimited or pay $2.99 (this is an affiliate link)

Good Friday

And in 2024, Vietnam War Veterans Day coincides with Good Friday, another Christian holy day. Good Friday is the day in which Protestant and Catholic Christian churches commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Good Friday is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, and Black Friday.

 

exploring the HEART of health in the spring

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Dwell in the Word during Lent

Many people find using their phones a convenient way to read and meditate on the Bible. And it’s easy to do so with the Dwell Bible App. With Dwell you can listen to and read the Bible and special devotional offerings for Advent, Lent, and throughout the year.

Using this affiliate link helps support this blog and my mission to share the heart of health wherever needed all over the world. Please join me.

Noteworthy in November

In November, the United States not only celebrates Thanksgiving, but also observes the end of Daylight Saving Time, Armistice Day (Veterans’ Day), and Native American Heritage Month. Dr. Hans Duvefelt shares his experiences of his first Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, the Tradition of Giving Tuesday encourages acts of generosity and shared humanity, aiming to bridge societal gaps in wealth.

There is a new version of this post at November Dates and Days.

Say “November”, and we in the United States think of Thanksgiving. Yes, for the abundant and delicious food we consume, but mostly because it’s a time spent with family, often ones we don’t see every day.

But for some, it’s a new experience in a new country. Or it’s a lonely day, or a day to grieve for what’s lost.

Dr. Hans Duvevelt immigrated to the United States from Sweden and writes a blog, “A Country Doctor Writes”. One year he wrote about his first Thanksgiving in Maine and I invite you to read it, just click on the title.

Another Thanksgiving Reflection

Daylight Saving Time ends

If you don’t like changing from standard time to daylight saving time in the spring, you will welcome the change back in the fall. We used to change in October but a few years ago it was extended to the first Sunday in November, which in 2023 is November 5.

Will we ever quit changing to DLST? Or will we ever change and just leave it that way? Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, if the change messes with your sleep, this post offers help to adjust quickly.

Sleep Practices for Restful Nights

In this post I review options to improve our sleep. Daylight Saving Time can disrupt sleep, akin to jet lag. Chronic insomnia involves difficulty sleeping regularly, potentially linked to medical conditions. Treatment begins with addressing underlying issues and adopting sleep hygiene practices, such as exercise and routine. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is effective…

Keep reading

Armistice Day

Maybe you’ve never heard of this day. It’s become more of a historical term for the end of World War I, said to have ended “at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month” in 1918. Many countries observe it in various ways. In the United Kingdom it’s called Remembrance Day. In the United States, we mark it as Veterans’ Day, where we honor those who have served in the military in all wars and peacetime.

Honoring Our Veterans 

Veterans Day on November 11 honors those who served in the U.S. armed forces. The Veterans Administration supports veterans through health care, education, and research. Personal stories highlight the ongoing impact of veterans, including therapeutic relationships with pets and reflections from veterans of past conflicts, emphasizing resilience and community connection.

Keep reading

Native American Heritage Month

The Thanksgiving holiday mostly celebrates the immigration of Europeans to the North American continent. Native American Heritage Month, and day, November 24, recognizes the people who were already here.

It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation….we celebrate the culture and heritage of these remarkable Americans who deeply enrich the quality and character of our Nation.

We celebrate Indian Country with its remarkable diversity of American Indian and Alaska Native cultures and peoples while remembering and honoring our veterans who have sacrificed so much to defend our Nation.

U.S. Department of the InteriorIndian Affairs

The Rich History of Watercress in Native American Culture

In 1889, the Locvpokv Muscogee Creeks established the village of Talasi near the Arkansas River, later called Tulsa. The Council Oak remains a cultural landmark, where Native Americans hold ceremonies. This article explores watercress and its culinary uses, highlighting its significance to local indigenous communities and the environment.

Keep reading

Giving Tuesday

It started with Black Friday. Then Small Business Saturday was added, as well as Cyber Monday. All for the purpose of consumers spending money so retailers can be profitable.

And that’s good, we need a strong economy. But some parts of our society can fall through the cracks of that economy. While some of us may be doing well financially, not everyone is. And that’s where Giving Tuesday bridges the gap.

Everyone has something to give and every act of generosity counts.

Join the GivingTuesday movement and reimagine a world built upon shared humanity and radical generosity.

GIVING TUESDAY

In 2023, Giving Tuesday is November 28, but you don’t have to wait or limit giving to that day. Generosity is a habit worth cultivating year-round.

Exploring the HEART of health in November

I’d love for you to follow this blog. I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

a world globe with two crossed bandaids

Doctor Aletha