In colder climates where spring means warmer weather and more sunshine, the first days of spring include getting to say goodbye to heavy layers, spending more time outside, and enjoying the flora and fauna. But, other than the weather, how do you actually define the first day of spring? There are different ways to interpret the beginning of spring and the end of winter, with the most media coverage being on Groundhog Day and the spring equinox.
Groundhog Day is Feb. 2, and features a ritual of lifting groundhogs to observe whether or not they will see their shadow. This is thought to represent whether or not there will be six more weeks of winter. If the groundhog sees its shadow, the weather will continue to be cold and snowy for another six weeks, but if it doesn’t, then spring will arrive early. This tradition started in 1887 and is based on the German and Celtic traditions surrounding a badger and other small animals seeing their shadows. German immigrants brought the tradition to Pennsylvania, where it became a national holiday, eventually becoming continental.
Pennsylvania’s resident groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil, while Staten Island’s is Chuck. Both have had very different weather reports over the course of their careers. Studies by the National Climatic Data Center and the Canadian weather service have recorded a success rate of around 50 percent for Punxsutawney Phil, while Staten Island’s Chuck is reportedly accurate almost 80 percent of the time. This 139-year-old groundhog-based tradition is featured often in the media and in memes online. Jokes aside, those living in cold climates every year hope the shadow will go unseen so the snow will finally melt and the days will start getting warmer sooner.
The other indicator of the beginning of spring, is the spring equinox. This day occurs between the 19 and 21 of March depending on the year, and it marks the astronomical beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere. The equinox is when the Earth isn’t tilted towards or away from the sun. Rather, there is equal sun exposure on the entire surface facing the sun, which means there are 12 hours of daylight, and 12 hours of night.
For the southern hemisphere, this day marks the autumnal equinox and beginning of the autumn. The days get longer and sunnier after this equinox in the northern hemisphere, while the days become shorter and colder in the southern hemisphere.
While the word “equinox” comes from the Latin roots of “equi” and “nox,” meaning “equal” and “night” this year, the split between day and night wasn’t exactly perfect; the daytime was several minutes longer than the nighttime. Due to the tilt, elliptical orbit, and the fact that we have leap days in the Gregorian calendar, the date of the actual spring equinox can vary. The majority of the time the equinox will be on March 20 rather than March 19 or 21. Even though the equinox is traditionally March 21, it has only occurred on the 21st 36 times in the 20th century, making it the exception, not the standard for this and last century
There are also spiritual ways to enjoy the first weeks of warmer weather. Planting seeds in a garden and spending time outside are the most common activities which makes for a great use of a sunny day outside. The lesser celebrated, but still widely used term is “spring cleaning,” which more so relates to the spirituality of the season. There are many other ways to celebrate spring without cleaning or going outside, such as creating a goals and progress tracker, or awakening your senses with a sour cleanse.
There are many ways, days, and times that people celebrate the beginning of spring, and they vary across the world, and depending on the hemisphere too. But despite the variation, it’s an important day of the year all over the globe.
