Time to look ahead at the month of March 2026 at the events, anniversaries and holidays that we can use to build a marketing calendar for campaigns, product launches or promotions.
The main occasion of general interest is St Patrick’s Day on March 17. Plenty of scope for ideas based around luck, good fortune and finding that elusive “pot of gold” at the end of the rainbow.
There is also the change of season with the March Equinox (March 20 at 14.46 UT, 14.46 GMT).
Daylight Savings Time changes this month as well in many countries.
In the UK it’s “Mother’s Day” on Sunday, March 15…
…and Easter is approaching. Palm Sunday is on March 29 and Easter falls on April 3-6.
Moving on to other events…
March 1 – Namesake Day (first Sunday in March)
March 1 – Zero Discrimination Day
March 1 – International Wheelchair Day
March 2 – Dr Seuss Day (born 1904)
March 2 – World Tennis Day (first Monday in March)
March 3 – World Wildlife Day
March 3 – World Hearing Day
March 3 – Anniversary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell in 1847 (NOTE: “Alexander Graham Bell Day” is on March 7, the anniversary of the day, in 1876, when the patent was granted for Bell’s machine that would eventually become the telephone)
March 3 – Chinese Lantern Festival (end of Chinese New Year celebrations)
March 4 – World Obesity Day
March 5 – World Book Day (first Thursday in March) – UK
March 6 – World Day of Prayer
March 7 – Alexander Graham Bell Day
March 8 – International Women’s Day
March 9 – Barbie Day
March 9 – Commonwealth Day (UK and Commonwealth countries – second Monday in March)
March 10 – Paper Money Day! (anniversary of the first printing of paper money in USA in 1862)
March 11 – World Plumbing Day
March 12 – Alfred Hitchcock Day
March 13 – World Sleep Day
March 14 – International Day of Mathematics
March 14 – Pi Day
March 15 – World Consumer Rights Day
March 15 – World Contact Day
March 15 – The “Ides of March”. Beware! (Julius Caesar assassinated in 44 B.C.)
March 15 – World Speech Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 18 – Global Recycling Day
March 19 – International Client’s Day
March 20 – International Day Of Happiness
March 20 – March Equinox (occurs at 14.46 UT)
March 20 – World Storytelling Day
March 20 – World Oral Health Day
March 21 – World Poetry Day
March 21 – World Puppetry Day
March 21 – International Day of Forests
March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
March 21 – World Day For Glaciers
March 22 – World Water Day
March 23 – World Meteorological Day
March 23 – World Bear Day
March 24 – Houdini Day (anniversary of the birth of the great escapologist in 1874)
March 26 – International Purple Day (epilepsy awareness)
March 27 – World Theatre Day
March 29 – Palm Sunday
March 29 – World Piano Day
March 30 – International Day of Zero Waste
March 31 – Eiffel Tower Day (completed 1889)
March 31 – World Backup Day
Taking a look at individual countries…
In the USA…
March 2 – Texas Independence Day
March 2 – Read Across America Day
March 2– Casimir Pulaski Day (Illinois, Indiana)
March 3 – Town Meeting Day (Vermont)
March 4– Casimir Pulaski Day (Wisconsin)
March 6 – Alamo Day (Texas)
March 8 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 17 – Evacuation Day (Massachusetts)
March 25 – Medal of Honor Day
March 25 – Maryland Day (Maryland)
March 26 – Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (Hawaii)
March 29 – Palm Sunday
March 29 – National Vietnam War Veterans Day
March 30 – Wyoming Veterans Welcome Home Day (Wyoming)
March 30 – Vietnam Veterans Day (Delaware)
March 30 – Vietnam Veteran Recognition Day (West Virginia)
March 30 – Seward’s Day (Alaska)
March 31 – César Chávez Day (some states)
Canada…
March 8 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 9– Commonwealth Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 29 – Palm Sunday
In the UK…
March 1 – St David’s Day (patron saint of Wales)
March 5 – St Piran’s Day (patron saint of Cornwall)
March 9 – Commonwealth Day
March 9 – Made in UK Day
March 15 – Mothering Sunday / Mother’s Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (holiday in Northern Ireland)
March 29 – Palm Sunday
March 29 – Daylight Savings Time starts
In Australia…
March 1- First day of autumn
March 1 – Clean Up Australia Day
March 2 – Labour Day (WA)
March 9 – Commonwealth Day, Labour Day (VIC), Canberra Day (ACT), Adelaide Cup (SA)
March 17 – St Patrick’s Day
March 19 – National Close the Gap Day
March 21 – Harmony Day
March 23 – Labour Day (Christmas Island)
March 29 – Palm Sunday
Finally for this month…
…on 29 March 1886, John Pemberton began advertising his “esteemed Brain Tonic and Intellectual Beverage”…
…known to you and I as Coca-Cola. It was originally devised as a headache and hangover remedy. That’s presumably why Pemberton approached Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta to sell the beverage on a trial basis.
It was there that carbonated water was added to the syrup to produce what we now know as Coca-Cola. However, it wasn’t initially a great success and Pemberton ended up selling two-thirds of his rights to Coca-Cola for the sum of $1,200.
The rest, as they say, is history!
Here’s to your success with your marketing calendar for March 2026 and associated event-driven marketing promotions!