Spring Equinox
2 min read
The Welcoming of Spring
By Lara Palmer
March 21st is unofficially known as the start of the spring season. In many cultures it is seen as a time for rebirth and renewal, and many places have celebrated this equinox as the first day of a new year. Even though this is a scientific discovery which leads towards warmer weather and longer days, many countries around the world celebrate this welcoming of spring.
In Thailand, they have the Songkran Water Festival in which they dance in the streets and splash each other with water from hoses, buckets, and water guns. Each spring in England, they actually have a Cheese-Rolling where people race down a hill after a giant wheel of cheese. In parts of Italy, citizens plant lettuce or flowers to inspire growth in one’s life as well as their garden or crops. In the United States, Easter falls around the same time as the equinox. Though people say Easter is a time for religion or a time for easter egg hunts, it all stems from a celebration of the springtime.
Easter has roots in the word Ostara, which is a pagan tradition of welcoming the spring season by planting seeds, baking, and appreciating the sun’s warmth.
In search of what people’s favorite part of spring is, a survey was taken. Out of everyone asked, 70% said their favorite part of spring was the warmer weather. The other 30% said it was the rainy weather and the growing plants that is their favorite.
The idea of these spring celebrations has been around for years and no one culture started it, but it is certainly a day to take time and appreciate the coming warmth and growth.
