SPRING EQUINOX

Spring!  The time of year we’re all thirsty for color outside and the warmth of the sun.  Well, we’ve arrived!  I’m noticing subtle signs with each new day.  Busy birds singing. Bulbs peeking through the soil. Swelling leaf buds on trees and shrubs.  And the real clincher, days getting longer. 

The spring equinox is the seasonal moment when the earth is perpendicular to the sun and shines in a straight line toward the equator. This means that the day and night lengths are nearly equal. This year it falls on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 5:01 am ET. The first day of spring holds such significance that many cultures consider it the first day of the year. We thought it would be fun to explore some of the ways this seasonal milestone is celebrated around the globe. 

In India, they celebrate spring with their ‘Festival of Colors’. It is a Hindu festival, Holi where they throw colored water and powders at each other. Societal categories like age, gender, and status don’t exist on this day in the spirit of joyful celebration.

Thailand commemorates spring similarly by throwing copious amounts of water at each other. Songkran is the traditional Thai new year derived from the Sanskrit word for “astrological passage”. More commonly it is known as the spring water festival. People gather water guns, buckets, hoses, or anything they can think of to douse their neighbors. Their festivities last for days including dancing in the streets, visiting the Buddhist monastery, visiting elders, and of course throwing profuse amounts of water on each other.

Teotihuacan is a popular place to go for the spring equinox. Hundreds of thousands visit the ancient ruins near Mexico City to celebrate spring. The tradition is to dress in white and climb the 360 steps up the Pyramid of the Sun. The idea is to absorb the special energy at the top and the warmth provided by the sun. 

At the El Castillo pyramid in the Mexican state of Yucatán, thousands gather to see the “Return of the Sun Serpent”. Located at the archeological site of Chichen Itza one can witness the level of astronomical intelligence the Mayans possessed.  Every vernal equinox a shadow is cast by the sun over the pyramid that looks like an enormous snake moving down the pyramid.

In Europe, traditional spring equinox celebrations include pagan rituals like bonfires, feasts and visiting sacred sites. Stonehenge is a popular pilgrimage in the UK for example. Their merrymaking centers on growth and prosperity. Modern activities today might include egg activities and symbolic seed planting.

Japan marks the “Haru no Higan (Spring Equinox) as a time of reflection.  They pay respect to spirits and their ancestors who have passed away. They eat ‘Botamochi’ which is a traditional sweet rice cake offering to their ancestors. They also enjoy flower viewing, ‘Hanami’.

Egg balancing is a popular custom in China at ‘Chunfen’ (Spring Equinox). It is believed that standing an egg upright on its end will bring you good luck. They also enjoy kite flying and other outdoor activities like viewing nature, especially flowers in bloom.

I hope you have your own way of welcoming spring. Perhaps these cultural traditions spark some inspiration. It’s time to come out of hibernation, stretch, yawn and as the late Robin Williams once said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’