Spring Doesn't Have Just One Start Date | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Spring Doesn't Have Just One Start Date

It actually has another starting day that you might have not heard of!

93
Spring Doesn't Have Just One Start Date
Wikimedia Commons

If it's mid-March and you are still wearing a winter jacket to go out, I have good news for you, spring is officially here.

Although we may not feel it yet through the temperature, the fact that the season is here will give us more daylight, later sunsets and colorful blossoming flowers. Slowly but surely.

And is March 20th the official start of spring or was it on the first of this month?

There are actually two ways to determine the start of the seasons: astronomical and meteorological.

According to the meteorological method, spring has already started!

This system stems from the temperature cycle and the atmosphere's state. It also goes along with the seasons of the year, forming four seasons with three months each, such as Spring: March, April and May.

In other words, based on the meteorological method, Spring began on March 1 and will end on May 31.

On the other hand, the first day of spring, also referred to as vernal equinox, starts on March 20 and ends on June 21 based on the astronomical system.

This system is based on where the Earth's orbit is at in connection with the sun. The method also considers solstices, which are the longest and shortest days, and equinoxes, which refers to the same amount of daylight and darkness in a day.

Therefore, March 20 marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, while, in the southern hemisphere, this day will be beginning of the season of autumn (autumnal equinox.)

The vernal equinox is celebrated in many ways in different cultures.

For example, in Mexico, people visit the pyramids in Teotihuacan and Chichen Itzá to receive the season. It is believed that indigenous cultures realized rituals to receive the sun's energy. Therefore, visitors dress in white to get energy from the sun.

Mayans and Mexicas held incredible astronomical knowledge. Proof of this is during the vernal equinox in the Kukulkán temple in Chichen Itzá. The shadow of a snake is formed with the sunlight, which is to bring tribute to their ancient god Quetzalcóatl.

You've perhaps also heard that during vernal equinox you can stand a raw egg due to Earth's position with the sun, but sorry to disappoint you, this is false. With a lot of time and focus, you can try this any other day of the year. What actually is true is that nature will be more alive than ever!

It is said that on this day, more worms come out from the earth; therefore its name of "Full Moon Worm" for March's full moon.

March is also the ideal month to plant. Trees and flowers are sensitive to temperature, so with the sunny days and gorgeous weather coming up, you might want to start planting your favorites.

Do you enjoy listening to birds sing? Well, thanks to the boost of sunlight, birds sing even more. And you might see these, and butterflies, more often in the sky since they migrate to the north.

So start planting your favorite flowers, take advantage of the increase in daylight and enjoy the sunny days that this amazing season offers!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

3394
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

302346
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments