The vernal equinox is the beginning of spring, a celebration of rebirth and renewal. As we in the northern hemisphere look about us around March 20 each year, it is easy to see this connection. The woods, meadows and mountains are beginning to flower, and leaf buds are glowing green. Spring peepers, toads and other frogs sing lustily from ponds, lakes, rivers and puddles. Neotropical migrants are beginning to stream back northward to ages old nesting grounds. The sun will appear, once again at the north pole after six months of absence.

This revival of the planet has always held much religious significance. Christianity celebrates the rebirth of Christ every year at Easter, which is celebrated on the first Sunday, after the first full moon following March 20. Many believe the word, Easter, is actually derived from the Saxon goddess of dawn, Eostre, and the Saxons held a great festival in her honor each year on the first full moon following the vernal equinox.

Many ancient cultures celebrated the vernal equinox as the beginning of the new year. It was common practice among the followers of Zoroastrianism in ancient Persia and is still held over by modern followers of the Baha’i faith in Iran. The Roman New Year used to begin on March 15.

The equinox - in scientific, astronomic terms - is that time when the sun passes the celestial equator directly above the earth’s equator. This occurs twice each year - in the fall, the autumnal equinox, and in the spring, the vernal equinox.

The earth spins like a top on its axis as it makes its yearly trek around the sun. The earth’s axis tilts at a 23.5-degree angle. This tilt creates the seasons. While the earth rotates, the axis remains fixed always pointing in the same direction as the planet revolves around the sun. Because of this, for half the year the northern hemisphere receives more sunlight and for half the year the southern hemisphere receives more sunlight, creating the summers and winters.

For the northern hemisphere, the earth’s axis points farthest from the sun around Dec. 21, the winter solstice, or the first day of winter. This is the day we in the northern hemisphere receive the fewest hours of daylight. Around June 21, our axis is pointing most towards the sun. This is the first day of summer, the day we receive the most hours of sunlight.

Somewhere in our revolution around the sun between Dec. 21 and June 21, we come to that point where there is no bias in the earth’s axis. This is the point where the sun passes the celestial equator. This is the point where the hours of daylight and the hours of darkness are closest to equal. This occurs around March 20. The sun is now in the northern hemisphere and our days will begin to grow longer.

Ancient cultures in North America were well aware of these astronomic events. Megalithic structures such as “America’s Stonehenge” in Salem, N.H., and “Calendar One” in Vermont, which date back thousands of years, are arranged in ways that record the equinoxes and solstices.

On Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula at Chichen Itza stands the Mayan pyramid Kulkulkan. This pyramid is thought to represent the center of the four seasons. Each of its four sides have 91 steps representing the days of each season. When the sun passes directly overhead on the vernal equinox, the shadow of the serpent-god, Quetzacoatl can be seen slithering along the steps of the pyramid.

This year’s solstice arrived at 8:30 a.m. March 20.

 

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