Daylight Savings

Don't you just feel the spring air around you? Or maybe you don't. It's still colder out, but even then it's still considered spring right now. Why? The spring equinox!

This year!

On March 20th this year (2023), we observed the vernal equinox (it was at 5:24 this year). Equinoxes are the two moments in the year when the sun is perfectly above the equator. During this time, day and night all over the world are of equal length. During the vernal equinox, the sun is heading north (that's towards the north pole!). The vernal equinox is widely viewed as the start of spring, which generally lasts from March 20th or 21st to June 20th or 21st.

History with the equinox!

In an ancient Mayan city in Mexico, crowds every year gather up during the vernal equinox to watch the sun create shadows that resemble a snake on a large Pyramid. This snake descends the pyramid until it meets with a large serpent head sculpture found at the base of the structure. The Persian New Year, Nowruz, starts on the vernal equinox. This holiday is celebrated for 13 days and has been celebrated for hundreds and hundreds of years. Another holiday on the vernal equinox, Shunbun no Hi, is celebrated in Japan. This holiday is celebrated by tending to the graves of your ancestors.

Every year, people commemorate the change from winter to spring in so many different ways. Celebrate spring now- as it only lasts for a bit!