Spring flowers

Spring brings beautiful flowers, rising temperatures, longer days, and new beginnings amd celebrations. Mother Nature’s real show begins when pretty apple blossoms, primroses, bee-friendly crocuses, and more of the first spring flowers bloom—usually between late February and early March—and continues all spring and summer.

Astronomical spring begins on the day of the equinox. The name of the event derives from Latin and means equal night, giving the impression that both day and night are exactly 12 hours long. However, that is not entirely true. In most regions, daytime at the equinox is a bit longer than 12 hours.

The start of spring and the spring equinox are celebrated in cultures and religions around the world with various spring traditions, holidays, and festivals.

Spring Equinox Traditions

In many cultures, the March equinox marks a time of transition and new beginnings. It’s the vernal (spring) equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the autumnal (fall) equinox.

Here are some ways people around the world celebrate and observe the March equinox:

Some Bring Out the Easter Eggs
In addition to being the spring (vernal) equinox in the north and the fall (autumnal) equinox in the south, the date of the March equinox plays a huge role in calculating the dates for when to celebrate Jewish Passover and Christian Easter.

How are Easter and other holidays celebrated?
In many Christian cultures, Easter eggs are synonymous with Easter. Also known as Paschal eggs, these are usually decorated chicken eggs that symbolize fertility and rebirth. Many Easter-related events feature the Easter egg as the central theme. Traditional games like egg hunts, where children search for colorful Easter eggs; egg rolling, where eggs are rolled down a hill; and egg dancing, where eggs are laid on the floor, and people dance while trying not to damage them, are held all around the world.

10 interesting facts about the March equinox

An ancient Chinese tradition calls for balancing eggs, a symbol of fertility, on the day of the March equinox for good luck and prosperity.

This ancient custom has given rise to a modern myth. Every year, during the March equinox, people claim that it is the only day of the year when an egg can be perfectly balanced on its end. A version of the claim suggests that eggs can only be balanced on their end at the exact time of the equinox. The truth is that there is nothing magical about the equinox or the time it occurs—you can balance an egg perfectly on its end on any other day as well.