I suppose that gives us a multiple options as to what to think and feel about the day.
The United Nations has declared 20 March 2013 as the first ever International Day of Happiness. It apparently hopes the initiative will encourage governments to consider the well-being of their citizens, rather than focusing efforts solely on economic growth. Unfortunately the Chanellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, needs no encouragement in that direction as he has presided over a shrinking economy chronically dipping in and out of recession.
While the calendar may tell us that its the Spring Equinox, the chilling weather outside and the lack of green shoots in the garden tells us something different. At least the days will be longer than the nights.
Rather than singing, Ken Dodd's 'Happiness', two quotations from Shakespeare come to mind:
'Now is the winter of our discontent' and 'beware the Ides of March'.