#19 March

[greendayauthority]

Grace Hall | Bethlehem, PA | 19 March 1994

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Mae West's play Sex was a hit, running from April 26, 1926 to March 19, 1927 (375 performances). ("The biggest sensation since the Armistice")

Photo: NYCinFilm

[wiiildflowerrr]

@Calum5SOS: Today was fun.

19 March 2014

[rabbitcruiser]

National Backyard Day

National Backyard Day falls on March 19 and on this day we celebrate, embrace, and enjoy our backyards. Whether right behind your home or in a neighborhood park, backyards are a place for relaxation, happiness, and freedom. Gardening, cookouts, scavenger hunts, backyard camping, taking a nap, and homemade obstacle courses are a few of the creative ways that people use their backyards. These green spaces provide solace and creativity that is much needed in today’s busy pace of life. National Backyard Day is marked in celebration of the special backyard memories we share with friends and family all year round.

History of National Backyard Day

For many years, American backyards were purely functional. They were mainly used for gardening since there were few corner stores and market produce. However, after World War II, people had more disposable income and migrated to the suburbs. This brought about a significant transformation in the treatment of backyards. People focused more on the aesthetic appeal of these spaces and introduced ornamental plants and garden features.

Also, there was a surplus of materials such as aluminum and concrete, meaning that it was affordable to build patios, pools, and lawn furniture. The backyard grew into a place for leisure and entertaining guests and became an extension of the living space.

The establishment of Earth Day in 1970 renewed people’s interest in growing produce at home. Landscapers started mingling vegetables and fruits with ornamentals in formal garden designs, and “edible landscaping” became increasingly popular. Urban community gardens became more widespread and people picked up an interest in organic gardening once more.

Similar to the dooryard gardens of early America, today’s home gardens contain edible plants and herbs. People also include flowers and native plants to add interest to these utility spaces in distinctly American ways.

ZYRTEC®, a brand that makes oral antihistamines, has always believed in the power of the backyard. On the anniversary of backyards becoming the nearest green space of escape, ZYRTEC® officially designated March 19, 2021, as the first National Backyard Day.

National Backyard Day timeline

1700s

Home Gardening Begins in America

American colonists rely on productive home gardens for food crops and medicinal herbs.

Early 1900s

Changes in Gardening

Interest in edible gardening drops as jobs draw Americans to urban areas.

Late 1900s

Back to Their Roots

Edible gardens make a comeback as Americans become more health-conscious and desire more fresh, local food.

2009

A Presidential Garden

The White House plants its first vegetable garden since WWII.

National Backyard Day FAQs

When is the best time to water my backyard plants?

In the evening or early in the morning works best since the soil is cooler and less water will evaporate than during the heat of the day.

Why is home gardening important?

It contributes immensely to daily food needs.

What seeds sprout the fastest?

Radishes, melon, and squash plants. For flowers, consider zinnias or marigolds.

National Backyard Day Activities

Sit in your backyard: Take some time to relax and unplug. Leave your phone in the house, lay on a lawn chair, and enjoy the sights and sounds in your backyard.

Invite others: Invite your friends to spend time with you in your backyard. It could be something as simple as catching up over a few drinks, or more elaborate like an afternoon of barbequing.

Tend to your backyard: Inspect your yard to see if any weeds need pulling or if there are flowers that may have been neglected. Giving your backyard some tender loving care on this day will benefit both you and the garden.

5 Unknown Facts About Backyard Gardens

Flowers as clocks: The naturalist Carolus Linnaeus discovered that certain plants/ flowers opened at specific times of the day, such as Hawk’s Beard at 6:30 A.M., Hawkbit at seven A.M., and the Ice Plant at 11 A.M.

More than gold: The tulip flower was once worth more than gold, especially, the white variety.

Rich backyard soil: Studies show that there are more microorganisms in one teaspoon of soil than there are people on earth.

Plants have ears: Research has shown that vibration (like music or the sound of your voice) can affect plant growth.

Sweet tomato recipe: Regularly sprinkling baking soda into your tomato plant's soil can help reduce acidity which makes the tomato crop sweeter.

Why We Love National Backyard Day

It’s a day to relax: It's so easy to get caught up in life's busy pace. But on National Backyard Day, we get into chill mode as we unwind in these havens of serenity.

We get together with loved ones: Good things are always better when shared. National Backyard Day gives us a chance to bond and relax with our loved ones.

We connect with nature: Backyards have so much beauty that we often overlook. On National Backyard Day, we slow down and enjoy the smells, sights, sounds, tastes, and textures in nature.

Source

[oediex]

As I walk towards the kitchen to make some tea, my nephew, almost three, is keeping a keen eye on my movement from my sister's lap. So I decide to give him a show.

As I'm pulling the teabag out of the box, I wiggle my eyebrows. I flap the teabag ostentatiously, before ripping it open slowly and deliberately. My mouth forms an O as I take it out of its packaging. I widen my eyes at him while I pour in the hot water.

A few minutes later, he seems to be wanting something. My sister offers him some cherry tomatoes, but he's not interested. When he says he's thirsty, water provides no fulfilment. Until finally, the truth comes out.

He wants tea.

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History | 19 March:

In the Liturgical calendar, today is the feast of St Joseph. According to legend, this is a lucky day to be born in the Highlands, where they say children born today cannot be killed in battle. 1642 – Charles I’s ‘Adventurers’ Act’ offers confiscated Irish land in return for investment in the reconquest. 1821 – Birth in Dublin of Sir Richard Francis Burton, adventurer, writer, swordsman, scholar…

[nerosunero]

19 March 2025, Dublin

[shisasan]

19 March, 1937 Letters to Véra by Vladimir Nabokov

[mistfunk]

Mistigram: AdeptApril has drawn this #ANSIart screen advising us that today is Certified Nurses Day, so don't take their critical role in the healthcare system for granted!

[rightnewshindi]

Today's History, 19 March; आज के दिन दूसरी बार प्रधानमंत्री बने थे अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी, पढ़ें 19 मार्च का इतिहास

Today's History, 19 March; आज के दिन दूसर��� बार प्रधानमंत्री बने थे अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी, पढ़ें 19 मार्च का इतिहास

History of the Day, 19 March: देश और दुनिया में 19 मार्च का इतिहास कई महत्वपूर्ण घटनाओं का साक्षी है और कई महत्वपूर्ण घटनाएं इतिहास के पन्नों में हमेशा के लिए दर्ज हो गई हैं। 19 मार्च का इतिहास महत्वपूर्ण माना जाता है क्योंकि 1998 में आज ही के दिन अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी दूसरी बार प्रधानमंत्री बने थे। 1990 में 19 मार्च के दिन ही  कनाडा की राजधानी ओटावा में महिलाओं की पहली विश्व आइस हॉकी प्रतियोगिता…

[greendayauthority]

House of Blues | Anaheim, CA | 19 March 2024

[stolenfingerbones]

It is quiet. The night grows dark. The eyes grow plenty.

[wiiildflowerrr]

"You ain't seen shit like this!"

@Ashton5SOS: You didn’t even know I could move like this ... we start our tour tomorrow. See you soon 🔥👽🖤🙌🏽 x x x

19 March 2018

[rabbitcruiser]

National Poultry Day

We suspected fowl play when we first discovered March 19 is annual National Poultry Day when we celebrate our national love affair with poultry. We scrambled to figure out how to celebrate poultry without bias because we are biased; chickens rule the roost when it comes to poultry. We are just going to have to wing this one.

History of National Poultry Day

Chicken is the most widely consumed meat in America, with each of us estimated to eat a clucking 101 pounds per year. Chicken has become our favorite protein because it is affordable (should we say “cheep-er”?) readily available, easy to cook, and versatile. But chickens were not always prized for how well they pair with an endless variety of seasonings, flavors, and cooking methods.

The word poultry is derived from the Latin word “pullus” which means “small animal.” Today we use the word poultry to describe domesticated birds kept for meat, eggs, and possibly feathers. But the first fowls intentionally raised by humans are believed to have been kept for their entertainment value, not for their spicy wings. Archeological evidence points to Southeast Asia and China as the first cultures to breed chickens for the sport of cockfighting as early as 10,000 years ago. Artistic depictions of roosters engaged in combat are found throughout the ruins of many ancient cultures.

Until recently the earliest evidence of large-scale chicken-eating was in first century B.C. Europe. But researchers have unearthed what may be evidence of chickens being domesticated for food at least 100 years earlier in an ancient Israeli city. We may never know when or how someone first tasted chicken roasted over a fire, but obviously that first barbequed chicken was not the last.

Outside the fighting rings and amphitheaters of ancient Rome, Greece, China, and Asia, chickens have held status as divinity in human societies for millennia. Chickens have been worshipped in many parts of the world because of their fighting prowess and are still considered to hold magical powers of divination in remote cultures.  

Although some people around the world still engage in cockfighting legally and illegally, the world’s oldest continual sport has been illegal in all fifty of the United States since 2008. That makes us feel good because we think cockfighting is inhumane, plus our fine feathered friend the chicken is now a superstar in the scientific arena. The chicken was the first domesticated animal and first bird to have its genome completely mapped by geneticists in 2004. It turns out that the chicken is the first descendant of dinosaurs. Who knew? We wonder if a cockfight between two prehistoric roostasaurusrex would have been considered fowl play or pure poultry in motion. We are just glad modern chickens are pullus – small animals. 

On National Poultry Day we celebrate chickens and other poultry not just for their culinary value, but for their other lesser-known contribution to mankind as pets. Chickens make wonderful pets, whether common laying hens or exotic heritage breeds that are as colorful as tropical fish and cost as much as $399 for a single day-old chick. Chickens make good mousers, some say better than cats, and will keep your vegetable garden fertilized and insect-free. 

We realize that by winging it, we managed to duck the fact that poultry is more than just chickens. We will give it another crack and fry harder next year to include other fowl in our tribute on National Poultry Day. 

National Poultry Day timeline

1992

More chicken, please!

American chicken consumption surpasses beef for the first time.

1928

Discovery of Vitamin D

Vitamin D supplements increase the winter survival rate of flocks, revolutionizing the chicken meat and egg industries.

1923

Chickens gain industry status

The first confined housing of birds for meat in Delaware and the introduction of cage systems for hens in California became catalysts for poultry farming’s shift from small family enterprise to the industrial age.

1800s

Chickens raised only on family farms

Chicken meat was a delicacy and eggs were considered a luxury until the 1900s because flocks failed to thrive due to poor nutrition and Vitamin D deficiency during winter months due to lack of sunlight.

National Poultry Day FAQs

What is considered poultry?

“Poultry” is generally defined as domesticated birds raised for the production of meat, eggs and can include feathers. The word “poultry” also refers to the flesh of these birds when used as food. Most people think of chicken or turkey when they hear the word poultry, but geese, ducks, squab (young pigeons) pheasant, quail, guinea fowl, and ostrich are also poultry.

What are the personality characteristics of poultry?

All poultry are social animals who enjoy being with other birds and thus should never be kept alone in captivity. They have a clearly defined hierarchy, or pecking order, within their community with strong territorial instincts. Poultry will nest in the same spot every night to go to sleep if given the option.

When is National Poultry Day?

March 19

How to Celebrate National Poultry Day

Try a bird of a different feather: Pheasant, duck, quail, goose, and game hens are all poultry not often found on American dinner plates but popular in other cultures. If these are too exotic for your taste at least treat your palate to a capon. A capon is a rooster that is castrated before sexual maturity. The lack of testosterone and a special diet produces exceptionally tender, juicy, and flavorful meat that is superb compared to regular hens. Capons were considered a luxury and the poultry of choice for holiday feasting among wealthy families during the early nineteenth century. Capons are not easy to find these days, but once you taste this bird, you will never again say anything else “tastes like chicken.”

Roast a Turducken: If you are undecided which poultry to serve for dinner on National Poultry Day, go with a Turducken. Turducken is a deboned chicken stuffed into a deboned duck that is stuffed into a deboned turkey, then roasted for pretty much a full day. The famous Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme trademarked the name Turducken in 1986, although the practice of “engastration” (the cooking term for stuffing one animal with another) dates back to at least the Middle Ages.

Purchase farm-fresh eggs: If you do not have your own backyard flock of laying hens, take a drive outside the city limits to a local co-op or family farm and purchase a dozen farm-fresh eggs. Once you taste the difference between freshly laid eggs and supermarket eggs, you will never want to buy store-bought again.

5 Ways Poultry Feathers Have Been Recycled

Quill pens: Before modern pens were invented, feather quills were trimmed at a slant with a razor and dipped in ink for use as writing instruments.

Fire tinder: Bird feathers are very flammable when dry and can be used as tinder to get a campfire going quickly with just a small spark.

Fishing lures: The decorative plumage of birds has been used by fly fishermen and women for years to tie the perfect lure for landing prized trophy fish like mackerel, bass, and trout.

Goose down bedding: Goose down is soft, fluffy and warm, and has become the most desirable stuffing for extremely comfortable – and expensive – pillows and comforters.

Decorative paper: Since 1993 feathers have been used to make exquisite decorative papers.

Why We Love National Poultry Day

Chickens make great pets: If you are not a meat-eater, the next best thing about chickens is they make surprisingly good pets. Chickens are social creatures that love to strut around to see what the rest of the flock is up to. They enjoy being held and can even be taught a few tricks provided there is a delicious mealworm reward involved. Chickens are relatively inexpensive and easy to care for compared to other domestic pets but need at least two or three other birds around to be well-adjusted. If your community does not discriminate against poultry as pets, and you have room for a spacious coop, laying hens will pay for their upkeep in daily fresh eggs.

For beauty’s sake: Hens take special notice of the rooster with a colorful, nice-looking, healthy comb strutting his stuff around the barnyard. A healthy crown and wattle are indeed very good for the rooster looking to score in the barnyard. A stunning comb and wattle are good for us, too, because chicken combs, especially rooster combs, are an excellent source of Hyaluronic acid, or H/A, a naturally occurring body fluid that lubricates and cushions bone joints and plumps up skin cells. H/A has been used for decades to relieve arthritis joint pain and stimulate healing of athletic injuries. H/A has been injected into the knees of professional and collegiate athletes and racehorses for years as a bio-lubricant that allows bones to move easier. Hyaluronic Acid can also be taken orally as a supplement and is a sought-after ingredient in top-shelf cosmetics and natural skincare products.

Chicken jokes: Chicken jokes are a childhood tradition, a quirky rite of passage discovered sometime between kindergarten and first grade. We are not sure why other poultry have not been singled out as the subject of silly jokes and puns. Maybe chickens do not get their feathers ruffled as easily as other poultry over fowl jokes. We egg-spect it has something to do with a chicken being in just about every pot in America, or at least on the grill or in the oven.

Source

[oediex]

I love my greens. Ten-year-old me would be loath to learn, but leaves just have a hold on me.

Especially the ones you can eat raw.

Today I carefully separate, wash, dry, and store a bundle of purslane. At least half an hour it took me, as I listened to the commentary on a gaming speedrun. Untangling the slim stems, rinsing them, drying them.

They will be perfect as a garnish on my food the coming days.

It's such a wonderfully meditative experience. To take care of the vegetables you will be eating. Making sure they last as long as they can.

Green leafy vegetables. They have my heart.

[tswiftupdatess]

Billboard names Taylor Swift as the #1 biggest artist of the 21st century! (March 19, 2025)