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The vernal equinox (or spring equinox) marks the beginning of astronomical spring. It occurs around 20 March in the Northern Hemisphere, and around 23 September in the Southern Hemisphere. In Chinese culture the vernal equinox marks the middle of spring. At the same moment that the vernal equinox occurs in one hemisphere, it is the time of the autumnal equinox in the other hemisphere.

Astronomy

The celestial equator and the ecliptic are two great circles. As such, they intersect at two points, the equinoxes. When the Sun, which moves along the ecliptic, occupies the point that crosses the equator while heading north, it is the time of the vernal equinox. Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the point of intersection moves completely around the sky in a 25,800-year cycle. This century it is in the southwest portion of Pisces moving slowly toward Aquarius.

Solar term

In east Asian lunisolar calendars, Chunfen (Traditional Chinese: 春分; Simplified Chinese: 春分; pinyin: chūn fēn; Japanese: 春分; Korean: 춘분) is a solar term or period of time when the Sun lies between the celestial longitudes of 0° and 15°. It sometimes refers in particular to the day when Sun is exactly at a celestial longitude of 0°. It usually begins around March 20 and ends around April 5.

Holidays

The Persian (Iranian) festival of Norouz is celebrated on the vernal equinox. According to the ancient Persian mythology Jamshid, the mythological king of Persia, ascended to the throne on this day and each year this is comemorated with festivities for two weeks. These festivities recall the myth of creation and the ancient cosmology of Iranian and Persian people.

The vernal equinox is the most significant day in the pagan calendar, and kemetic pagans spend the day praying to the goddess of cats, Bast.

The Wiccan Sabbat of Ostara (or Eostar).

In Japan, Vernal Equinox Day (春分の日 Shunbun no Hi) is an official national holiday, and is spent visiting family graves and holding family reunions.

Easter is celebrated on the Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon day on or after the ecclesiastical vernal equinox day 21 March (see computus).

Earth Day was initially celebrated on the vernal equinox, 21 March 1970. It is currently celebrated in America on 22 April.

Tamil and Bengali New Years are celebrated after the sidereal vernal equinox (14 April). The former is celebrated in the South-Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and the later in Bangladesh and the East-Indian state of West Bengal.

In many Arab countries, Mother's Day is celebrated on the vernal equinox.

Egg-balancing myth

A common old wives' tale regarding the vernal equinox is that this is the one day of the year that eggs can be balanced on their end. Although this myth is untrue (eggs can be balanced on any date with enough patience) and unsound (would it be different in both hemispheres? Why only the instant of vernal equinox? Why not autumnal equinox?) it is often perpetuated in the news. Also, the current Guinness World Record for egg balancing wasn't done on the vernal equinox. For a fuller treatment of the issue, see:

• Mikkelson, Barbara & David P. "Infernal Egguinox" at Snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages.
• "Standing an egg on end on the Spring Equinox". BadAstronomy.com.
• "Equinox Means Balanced Light, Not Balanced Eggs". Project ASTRO UTAH. The Clarke Foundation.

This myth was also featured on The West Wing in the episode titled Evidence of Things not Seen (s4e20).

See also

• First Point of Aries
• Equinox
  • March equinox
  • September equinox
• Solstice
  • Summer solstice
  • Winter solstice

References

1. Astronomical Applications Department of USNO. "Earth's Seasons - Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion". Retrieved 2022-08-01.
2. "Solstices and Equinoxes: 2001 to 2100". AstroPixels.com. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
3. Équinoxe de printemps entre 1583 et 2999
4. Solstice d’été de 1583 à 2999
5. Équinoxe d’automne de 1583 à 2999
6. Solstice d’hiver

External links

• "Groundhog Day and the Spring Equinox". Landscaping. About.com.
• "The Vernal Equinox". Equinox and Solstice.com.
• Earth's Seasons—Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion—1992–2020

Template:Succession

• Astrodynamics
• Astrological factors
• Celestial mechanics
• Pisces constellation
• Solar terms
• Spherical astronomy