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28 March: what is celebrated today
Some days on the calendar seem to bring together small, quiet gestures with big, universal ideas. 28 March is one of them: a date when the world pauses for an hour, when historical memory becomes a collective commitment, and when even a cake can tell a cultural story. Between voluntary darkness, the fight for equality, and shared pleasure, this day invites us to look at the planet and ourselves more closely.
Earth Hour
Every last Saturday in March, millions of cities turn off their lights at the same time to take part in Earth Hour, an initiative promoted by the World Wide Fund for Nature in 2007. The gesture is simple: one hour without artificial lighting, between 20:30 and 21:30, as a symbolic reminder of the Earth’s fragility and the urgency of acting against climate change.
Although switching off the light does not by itself stop global warming, its strength lies in the collective. Monuments, homes and businesses join the same global pulse that seeks to raise awareness, reduce the environmental footprint and rethink our daily habits. Earth Hour is not merely a blackout: it is an invitation to think about what kind of future we are lighting.
Week of solidarity with peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination
Since 1979, beginning on 21 March, the Week of solidarity with peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination, proclaimed by the United Nations, has been observed. Its origin is marked by the tragedy of Sharpeville in South Africa, where in 1960 a peaceful protest against apartheid ended in a massacre that shocked the world.
This week recalls that, although many discriminatory laws have been abolished, racism remains present in visible and invisible forms. It is a call to remembrance, but also to action: to defend human dignity, equal rights and coexistence in increasingly diverse societies. It is not only about remembering the past, but about not normalising the injustices of the present.
Black Forest Cake Day
In contrast to major global issues, 28 March also celebrates something apparently lighter, but deeply cultural: Black Forest Cake Day. This dessert, born in the German region of Baden, combines chocolate sponge cake, cream and sour cherries, and has become an international classic.
Behind its flavour are tradition, memory and shared celebration. Black Forest is not only a recipe, but an example of how gastronomy travels, adapts and brings people together. On a day marked by deep reflection, this cake recalls that enjoyment too forms part of our relationship with the world.