There is something special about the month of March. Here’s a fun fact: Did you know that once upon a time March was the first month of the year? In the oldest Roman calendars, one year was ten months long, beginning in March and ending in December. According to Reader’s Digest, “Because December was the tenth month, it was named for the number ten in Latin (decem), just like September was named for seven (septem). So, what about January and February? They were just two nameless months called ‘winter,’ proving that winter is literally so awful it doesn’t even deserve a spot on the calendar.”

Maybe this is why there is an energy and charge in the air this time of year. The end of winter is in our sights – the thaw is coming (at least here in New Jersey). New Year’s resolutions have either fallen by the wayside or have become a part of life. Those that were enthusiastic about change, or a new beginning, are either seizing new opportunities or becoming resigned to more months of doldrums.

For sports fans in the US, March falls in the gap between the Super Bowl and baseball season. Following the last NFL football game of the year, a depression may sink in for the most avid team supporters. They turn to counting the days for when baseball’s pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training in Florida and Arizona, places that never have to worry about having to thaw out.

Basketball aficionados, however, love March. “March Madness,” as it is called, the two-week long tournament to determine a college basketball champion, is a big deal here in the states. Here’s another fun fact: A research firm once concluded that in 2015 American companies lost close to $2 billion in wages paid to unproductive workers spending company time on their basketball brackets and gambling priorities. 

I think we can cut our employees some slack, at least in the label industry, since this is the time of year that things really start heating up. There’s a lot on the agenda. Shows such as the TLMI Converter Meeting, Dscoop Americas, ICE USA and FTA Forum are all coming soon, in addition to several open house and supplier-hosted events. Xeikon, Domino, Colordyne, Nilpeter and Bobst all have educational and press-demonstration opportunities scheduled in the coming weeks, so there’s a lot to look forward to.

It’s been a brutal, historically cold winter for many of us, so we welcome the thaw amid a flurry of activity. And if that’s not enough to get you excited, there’s St. Patrick’s Day and the Vernal Equinox, which gives us a near 50-50 split of day and night. So we’ve got that going for us.


Steve Katz, Editor
[email protected]
Twitter: @LabelSteve