March 20
Spring has not yet sprung in northern Michigan, but we are getting closer every day. We have had a few days of mild weather and sunshine, and I think most of us can agree that after the long winter that we have endured, we are extremely grateful for the warmer days ahead of us. The official first day of spring, which is also referred to as the spring equinox or vernal equinox, lands on March 20 this year. But what does this mean? What exactly is an equinox and how is that different than a solstice? As a former English teacher and self-proclaimed logophile, I have always found words to be fascinating. One of my favorite college courses was on the history of the English language where we looked at the etymology of words in our language.
The word equinox comes from the Latin words aequi, which means equal, and nox, which means night. The word vernal is Latin for spring. An equinox, which happens twice a year in spring and fall, is when the sun is positioned directly over the equator and thus creates a day that is equal amounts darkness and light. The vernal equinox is always around March 20 and the autumnal equinox is always within a day or two of September 20.
The word solstice combines the Latin word sol which means sun and sistere which means to stand still. So, the solstices are the two days of the year when the sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest point in the sky and so it appears to stand still. On the summer solstice, which falls around June 20 each year, we have the longest day of sunlight of the year, and on the winter solstice, which is around December 20 every year, we have the shortest day of sunlight of the year.
Although most people don’t officially celebrate the spring equinox in the United States, for those of us living in the northern hemisphere, and particularly for those of us in northern Michigan, it signals the first day of spring and that warmer weather is on its way. For those spirituality-minded people in the U.S. and beyond, the spring equinox is celebrated as a joyful holiday that is centered around rebirth & growth. Festivals and gatherings are centered around this concept of awakening, and rebirth with the arrival of spring. In other cultures and countries this is a much more significant day and time of year. In India, the spring equinox is celebrated during a festival called Holi. In Persian culture, the spring equinox signals the new year and is celebrated as a day called Norooz. In England, Druid and Wiccan groups celebrate the holiday of Ostara by gathering at Stonehenge to greet the rising sun on the spring equinox. And, the people of Japan visit the graves of their loved ones during the equinox because they believe that the Buddha appears to help guide lost souls to the afterlife during this time.
Here are a few notable people who were born during the vernal equinox:
- Johan Sebastian Bach- March 21, 1685
- Fred Rogers- March 20, 1928
- Spike Lee- March 20, 1957
