Spring equinox что это
spring equinox
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spring equinox — noun March 21 • Syn: ↑vernal equinox, ↑March equinox • Ant: ↑autumnal equinox (for: ↑vernal equinox) • Hypernyms: ↑equinox … Useful english dictionary
spring equinox — vernal equinox. See under equinox. [1580 90] * * * … Universalium
spring equinox — The point in time when there is an intersection of the ecliptic and the celestial equator (equinoctial), at which the sun is moving from a south to a north declination. The equinox occurs around March 21 the exact date varies a day or two because … Aviation dictionary
spring equinox — noun synonym for vernal equinox … Wiktionary
Spring Day — is a holiday marking the coming of the spring season, which takes place in different countries, on varying dates.AlbaniaAlbania celebrates the lunar Spring Day (Albanian: Dita e Verës ) on March 14 as a national holiday. It is an old pagan… … Wikipedia
Spring Day (Argentina) — Spring Day is an informal holiday in Argentina, celebrated on 21 September, the conventional date of the beginning of spring (one or two days before the actual spring equinox).Though this is not a work free public holiday, it coincides with… … Wikipedia
Equinox — This article is about the astronomical event when the sun is at zenith over the Equator. For other uses, see Equinox (disambiguation). For the same event happening on other planets and setting up a celestial coordinate system, see Equinox… … Wikipedia
equinox — i. One of the two points of intersection of the ecliptic and the celestial equators, occupied by the sun when its declination is 0°. Also called an equinoctial point. That point occupied on or about March 21, when the sun’s declination changes… … Aviation dictionary
equinox — [[t]i͟ːkwɪnɒks, e̱k [/t]] equinoxes N COUNT: oft supp N An equinox is one of the two days in the year when day and night are of equal length. In the Chinese calendar, the Spring Equinox always occurs in the second month and the Autumn Equinox in… … English dictionary
Equinox — The two times of the year when the sun crosses the equator and night and day are of equal length; usually occurs on March 21st (spring equinox) and September 23 (fall equinox) … Energy terms
Spring Equinox –
The Spring Equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, is one of the four solar festivals of the year. The equinox — which translates roughly in Latin to “equal night” — is when the sun sits vertically above the equator, making day and night equal across the planet. The Spring Equinox officially marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and there are celebrations around the world to usher in longer days and springtime. In some cultures, this day also marks the beginning of the new year, which in Iranian culture is called Nowruz. The Spring Equinox is a brilliant time for new beginnings, no matter how you celebrate on March 20.
Spring Equinox timeline
Chinese rulers believe the Spring equinox marks the start of their line.
Some believe that this is when the practice of celebrating the spring equinox began.
The March equinox becomes and is celebrated as a national holiday in the Meiji period.
After World War II, General Macarthur declares Japan’s celebration of the vernal equinox as secular in an attempt to separate church- from state power.
Spring Equinox Activities
Host a Nowruz party
Celebrate the Spring Equinox and Iranian New Year with a Nowruz party. Prepare the Haft Seen, the traditional table setting for celebrating Nowruz in Iran, and have your guests gather around it until the exact moment of the Spring Equinox. The table includes seven traditional items: greenery (sprouts grown in a dish), samanu (a sweet germinated wheat pudding), dried oleaster fruit, garlic, apples, sumac berries, and vinegar.
Bring flowers into your home
Nothing says spring like flowers! Celebrate the Spring Equinox by bringing some flowers into your home. Buy a bunch of cut flowers from your local market — daffodils and tulips should be in season now — or buy a little plant to keep in your window. Buying flowers for yourself is a happy and small indulgence.
Call your mom
In many Arab cultures, the Spring Equinox is a day to appreciate mothers. Take a page from their book, and use this day as a day to call your mom! Take it a step further by sending her flowers to celebrate the first day of spring.
5 Reasons Why We Love Spring Equinox
It brings all the baby animals to the yard
And they’re like, «animals reproduce in the spring because our biology says there’s more food available.”
Everything turns green
Spring: the time to enjoy the rebirth of flowers, trees and grass before summer zaps them into a fried crisp.
Shorter utility bills
Warm up or cool down your house just by opening your windows.
We get to say «Sprang Break, sprang break foreva”
Spring break is the one week out of the year you’re allowed to do. well, anything you want.
It lets us detox
It’s called Spring cleaning for a reason! Spring also gives us a chance to «clean out» our bodies before summer swim suit season.
Why We Love Spring Equinox
It signals the changing of seasons
Astronomically, the Spring Equinox signals the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of fall in the Southern Hemisphere.
It’s a universal moment
During the equinox, the Southern and Northern Hemispheres receive equal exposure to the Sun’s rays. This moment happens at the same time around the world!
The Earth is perfectly balanced
On the other 363 the year, the Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle of about 23.4° relative to the Earth’s path around the Sun, which means one hemisphere always receives more sunlight than the other. But on the Equinoxes, the tilt of the Earth is perpendicular to the Sun, meaning the Southern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere are hit with equal amounts of sunlight.
Spring Equinox dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | March 20 | Saturday |
| 2022 | March 20 | Sunday |
| 2023 | March 20 | Monday |
| 2024 | March 20 | Wednesday |
| 2025 | March 20 | Thursday |
Spring Equinox Featured Video
Spring Equinox (Vernal Equinox)
The Spring Equinox, known as the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, is a day in which the sun sits directly over the equator, so day and night all over the world are of equal length. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is the first day of spring. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is known as the Autumnal Equinox and signals the beginning of fall. The Spring Equinox falls anywhere from March 19th through March 21st.
History of the Spring Equinox
Originally, March 25th was set as the date of the Spring Equinox by Julius Caesar when he established the Julian calendar in about 45 B.C. However, because the year as set by the Julian calendar was about 365.25 days, there was a drift between the two equinoxes. For example, the Spring Equinox in 300 A.D happened on March 21st, but 1200 years later it had drifted to March 11th. Because of this drifting of the Julian calendar, Pope Gregory XIII decided to create a more modern calendar. One that adhered to the date of Easter, as set by the Council of Nicaea, or about March 21st. His solution was to create the Gregorian calendar. However, that calendar has also proved to be imperfect. The equinox oscillated by over 50 hours around its mean position. Which would cause Easter to fall on a date before the equinox. Fortunately, that was fixed by astronomers who omitted a number of days from the calendar so that the Spring Equinox would fall somewhere between March 19th and March 21st.
Over the years, all kinds of pagan groups have used the Spring Equinox as a day for their rituals, festivals and rites. One of these ancient festivals which are still celebrated today is Ostara. This Anglo-Saxon pagan holiday celebrates the horned god and the spring maiden – which both of them representing the arrival of spring. Other symbols of this pagan ritual include eggs and rabbits – which spread to the Germanic pagan festivals Oester. Christianity would also borrow these symbols of spring for their Easter celebrations. However, these cultures weren’t the only ones which celebrated the Spring Equinox. One of these was the Mayans. The Mayan people of Central America celebrated the Spring Equinox for a millennium. When the sun set on the pyramid of El Castillo, Mexico it cast a long shadow that looks like a snake descending the staircase–what is called the returning of the sun serpent by the Mayans.
Spring Equinox Customs & Traditions
One of the oldest known traditions for celebrating the Spring Equinox was the Chinese tradition of balancing eggs. In Chinese culture, and in many other cultures as well, eggs represent fertility and new life. Which is probably why the Chinese would try to balance them on their end for good luck. It was said that if you could balance eggs on this day, then you would have good luck and prosperity all year round. This ancient Chinese tradition has led to the modern-day myth that eggs can only be balanced on their end on the day of the Spring Equinox. With a little practice, you can balance an egg on its end anytime during the year and not just on the equinox.
Another tradition celebrated on the Spring Equinox (as well as the Autumnal Equinox) is Higan in Japan. It is a tradition that is observed by Buddhist sects in the country. Its name literally means “the other shore” which references dead spirits who are able to reach Nirvana after crossing the river of life and death and thereby represents them moving from the mortal world of suffering to the world of enlightenment or spirit.
First Day of Spring 2021: The Spring Equinox
Celebrate the Vernal Equinox and the Start of Spring!
In 2021, the spring equinox occurs on Saturday, March 20. This event marks the astronomical first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. What does equinox mean? What happens on the equinox? What determines the first day of spring? Before you try to balance that egg, read this!
What Is the Spring Equinox?
In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox (aka spring equinox or vernal equinox) occurs when the Sun crosses the equator line, heading north. This event marks the start of spring in the northern half of the globe. After this date, the Northern Hemisphere begins to be tilted more toward the Sun, resulting in increasing daylight hours and warming temperatures. (In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite: the March equinox marks the start of autumn, as the Southern Hemisphere begins to be tilted away from the Sun.)
→ What sort of weather will spring bring? Check out our Spring Forecast to find out!
When Is the First Day of Spring?
In 2021, the March equinox happens on Saturday, March 20, at 5:37 A.M. EDT. In the Northern Hemisphere, this date marks the start of the spring season.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the March equinox marks the start of autumn, while the September equinox marks the start of spring.
Spring Equinox Dates and Times
What Does Spring “Equinox” Mean, Exactly?
The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night”—aequus (equal) and nox (night).
On the equinox, the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world.
With the equinox, enjoy an increasing amount of sunlight hours, with earlier dawns and later sunsets! See your personalized Sun rise and set calculator.
On the equinox, Earth’s two hemispheres receive the Sun’s rays about equally.
What Happens on the March Equinox?
On the March equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator going south to north. It’s called the “celestial” equator because it’s an imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator.
If you were standing on the equator, the Sun would pass directly overhead on its way north.
Equinoxes are the only two times each year that the Sun rises due east and sets due west for all of us on Earth!
While the Sun passes overhead, the tilt of the Earth is zero relative to the Sun, which means that Earth’s axis neither points toward nor away from the Sun. (Note, however, that the Earth never orbits upright, but is always tilted on its axis by about 23.5 degrees.)
After the spring equinox, the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun. Although in most locations (the North Pole and Equator being exceptions) the amount of daylight had been increasing each day after the winter solstice, after the spring equinox, many places will experience more daylight than darkness in each 24-hour day. The amount of daylight each day will continue to increase until the summer solstice in June, during which the longest period of daylight occurs.
Crocuses are a sure sign of spring!
Spring Equinox FAQ s
Q: Does Spring Begin on March 1 or on the Equinox?
A: Well, both. The answer depends on your definition of “spring.” Both dates are accurate; they’re just from different perspectives. We’ll explain …
Astronomically speaking, the first day of spring is marked by the spring equinox, which falls on March 19, 20, or 21 every year. The equinox happens at the same moment worldwide, although our clock times reflect a different time zone. And, as mentioned above, this date only signals spring’s beginning in the Northern Hemisphere; it announces fall’s arrival in the Southern Hemisphere.
Interestingly, due to time zone differences, there isn’t a March 21 equinox in mainland U.S. during the entire 21st century! We won’t see a March 21 equinox again until 2101.
Meteorologically speaking, the official first day of spring is March 1 (and the last is May 31). Weather scientists divide the year into quarters to make it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics from one year to the next. The meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles rather than on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun, and they more closely follow the Gregorian calendar. Using the dates of the astronomical equinoxes and solstices for the seasons would present a statistical problem, as these dates can vary slightly each year.
Did you know that daffodils are one of March’s Birth Flowers?
Q: Are Day and Night Equal on the Equinox?
A: No, but they are quite close to equal. In reality, day and night are not exactly equal on the equinox for two reasons: First, daytime begins the moment any part of the Sun appears over the horizon and is not finished until the last part of the Sun disappears below the horizon. If the Sun were to shrink to a starlike point and we lived in a world without air, the spring and fall equinoxes would truly have equal nights.
Read about more fun facts in the Almanac Astronomer’s post, “Vernal Equinox Oddities.”
Q: According to folklore, you can stand a raw egg on its end on the equinox. Is this true?
A: This egg folklore became popular in 1945 following a LIFE article about the spring practice. “The origins of this myth are attributed to stories that the ancient Chinese would create displays of eggs standing on end during the first day of spring,” according to John Millis, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Anderson University in South Carolina. “The ancient Chinese celebrated the first day of spring about six weeks earlier than the equinox”—not just on the equinox itself.
As with most folklore, it’s only partly true. You should be able to balance an egg on its end on the equiox, but it’s possible to balance an egg on other days, too!
Folklore or not, this egg trick sounded like fun to us. One spring, a few minutes before the vernal equinox, several Almanac editors tried this trick. For a full workday, 17 out of 24 eggs stood on end. Three days later, we tried this trick again and found similar results. Perhaps three days after the equinox was still too near. Perhaps the equinox has nothing to do with it. Perhaps we just don’t like to take ourselves too seriously!
Try this yourself and let us know what happens. (Tip: You’ll probably have better luck balancing an egg if you try it on a rough surface or use an egg that has a bumpy end.)
Q: Which Day Has the Most Sunlight in North America?
A: The Summer—or “June”—Solstice is called the “longest” day of the year! The date of the longest day actually varies from June 20 to June 22, depending on the year, and the local time zone. By “longest day,” we mean the day that gets the most daylight (versus darkness). See our Summer Solstice page.
How Do You Celebrate the Vernal Equinox?
Observe nature around you!
Ancient Equinox Traditions: The Snake of Sunlight
Scientific explanation aside, our ancestors were more connected to the Sun than we are today. They observed its pathway across the sky, and they tracked how the sunrise, sunset, and day length changed, using the Sun (and Moon) as a clock and calendar.
There are many ancient sites that mark the equinoxes (and solstices). One of the most famous ancient Spring equinox celebrations took place at Chichen Itza in Mexico. The Mayans built a huge pyramid around the year A.D. 1000. Even today, the way the Sun’s light falls on it signals the beginning of the seasons. On the spring equinox, it looks like a huge snake is slithering down the steps. Mayans called this day “the return of the Sun serpent.”
Spring Verse, Quotes, and Sayings
Verse
Quotes
Sayings
Learn More About the First Days of Seasons
The First Days of the Seasons are marked by four astronomical events:
Look around! Observe! What are the signs of spring in your region? Please share in the comments below!
Vernal Equinox
Contents
The vernal equinox takes place on March 20 or March 21 and signals the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. During the vernal or spring equinox, the amount of daylight and darkness is nearly the same in length. (The word equinox comes from the Latin “aequus,” meaning equal, and “nox,” meaning night.)
When Is the Vernal Equinox?
The vernal equinox occurs on March 20 or March 21 each year and signals the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere (and fall in the Southern Hemisphere).
The Earth tilts at an angle of 23.5 degrees on its axis relative to its plane of orbit around the sun. As the Earth orbits the sun over the course of a year, different places get sunlight for different amounts of time.
An equinox occurs at the moment when the Earth’s axis doesn’t tilt toward or away from the sun. Someone standing on the equator on an equinox can observe the sun passing directly overhead. Additionally, equinoxes are the only two times a year that the sun rises due east and sets due west.
Six months after the March equinox, another equinox occurs around September 22 or 23 and marks the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Since the Earth actually takes about 365.24 days to orbit the sun, equinoxes happen around six hours later from year to year, before moving back a day on leap years.
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The Difference between an Equinox and a Solstice
In addition to two annual equinoxes, there are two solstices every year. The summer solstice, on June 20 or June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, occurs when the sun is farthest north of the equator; it’s the longest day of the year in terms of daylight.
The winter solstice, on December 21 or December 22 in the Northern Hemisphere, happens when the sun is farthest south of the equator; it’s the shortest day of the year. The word solstice comes from the Latin “solstitium,” meaning “stopped sun.”
Spring Equinox Traditions
For centuries, people have celebrated the vernal equinox. At the ruins of Chichen Itza, the ancient Maya city in Mexico, crowds now gather on the spring (and fall) equinox to watch as the afternoon sun creates shadows that resemble a snake moving along the stairs of the 79-foot-tall Pyramid of Kukulkan, also called El Castillo.
On the spring equinox, the snake descends the pyramid until it merges with a large, serpent head sculpture at the base of the structure. While the Maya were skilled astronomers, it’s unknown whether they specifically designed the pyramid to align with the equinox and create this visual effect.
At Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in England featuring the remains of a circle of huge standing stones, druids and pagans congregate to watch the sun rise on the equinox and welcome spring. However, it’s unclear what, if any, meaning the equinox held for those who constructed the ancient monument, as they left no written record about why or even how it was built.