After a long winter, we all look forward to the arrival of spring. In March, buds appear on trees, nature comes to life after a long sleep, birds sing and the sun shines. Favorite holiday Day spring equinox- what date will it be in 2020 and how is it celebrated? Read the details in this article.
What happens on this day?
First of all, let's figure out what the spring equinox is. In fact, the answer lies in the name Equinox: day equals night, that is, the duration of daylight and darkness is the same.
There is a spring equinox, which is celebrated in March, and autumn - in September. Some also talk about spring solstice, however, this is incorrect. After all, they are only in summer and winter - in June and December.
The date of the holiday in different years falls on different days: March 19, 20 or 21. The exact date depends on the year, it's all about the calendar shift due to leap years.
In 2020, the spring equinox will occur on March 20 at 06:50 am Moscow time. If you live in another region, you can calculate the time yourself, knowing Moscow.
After this day, the length of daylight hours begins to increase, and the day becomes longer than the night.
Watch the video, which reveals the astronomical essence of the equinox phenomenon:
On March 21, the Sun moves from the zodiac sign Pisces to the sign of Aries, and the astrological spring begins (the period of the signs Aries, Taurus, Gemini).
Since the sign Aries is associated with new business, initiative, it is good to start implementing new projects, implementing ideas and plans at this time. Nature is reviving, so the activity of man in the world should also be reborn.
Table of vernal equinoxes until 2025
| Year | Date and exact time in Moscow |
| 2019 | March 21 00:58 |
| 2020 | March 20 06:50 |
| 2021 | March 20 12:37 |
| 2022 | March 20 18:33 |
| 2023 | 21 March 00:24 |
| 2024 | March 20 06:06 |
| 2025 | March 20 12:01 |
Ritual for the fulfillment of a wish
The spring solstice is a time of miracles and mysticism, when the Wheel of Fate can be turned in the right direction. Traditionally, various ceremonies were performed on this day. Today I will bring a spring ritual for the fulfillment of a wish.
Important conditions: the desire should concern you personally and it should not be associated with harm to other people.
Choose a quiet place and ask them not to disturb you for half an hour. Prepare a white candle.
- Light a candle.
- Take a comfortable position with a straight back, for example, sit in a Turkish position.
- Place the candle so that it is convenient to look at it.
- Relax. Close your eyes. Breathe evenly and slowly.
- Imagine that your wish has already come true. For example, if you want to buy a new car, then imagine yourself driving, as if you were driving around the city in a brand new car. Mentally look at the registration certificate that you just received.
- Be sure to experience the emotions that a fulfilled desire will give you - delight, joy, satisfaction.
- Now place the image of the fulfilled wish in the pink sphere.
- The sphere rises up and flies into the sky, higher and higher.
- You let go of your desire, thus leaving a request to the Universe for its fulfillment.
Try to forget about your desire for a while. Then it will certainly come true.
Folk signs of the holiday
Among the people, from generation to generation, signs on the Day of the vernal equinox are passed on.
- What will be the thoughts and desires, this will be the whole year. The fact is that on March 21, an energy template is laid for the next months of the year. Therefore, thoughts must necessarily be positive, and wishes to other people only bright and kind. It is impossible to wish bad even to enemies.
- The more fun to celebrate this day, the more fun the year will be.
- Our ancestors on this day looked for spring thawed patches and counted them. If you find 40 pieces, then spring will bring good luck.
- If the day turned out to be frosty, then another 40 days of frost are expected. And if the day is warm, then there will be no night frosts.
Spring equinox festival in different nations
The spring equinox is celebrated all over the world. Different peoples meet spring in different ways, but everyone has common features Every person rejoices at the resurrected Sun and waits for a warm welcome.
Feast of the Slavs
The holiday of the spring equinox among the Slavs was called Magpies or Larks. The first name comes from the Forty Sebastian Martyrs - Christian warriors who refused to make sacrifices to pagan gods, as they deeply believed in Christ.
However, even in the pre-Christian era, the spring equinox was celebrated on a grand scale. It was believed that on this day there is a balance between light and darkness. The sun wakes up to give people warmth and harvest.
The Slavs called the Day of the vernal equinox - Larks. According to popular beliefs, migratory larks return to their homeland on this day, followed by other migratory birds.
Before this day, any agricultural work was prohibited, since the land was still in hibernation. Now she has begun awakening.
For the holiday, the housewives made ceremonial pastries from unleavened dough in the form of larks. Birds were often baked with spread wings and tufts. But each hostess, of course, had her own recipe.
Baked larks were given to children. They ran with them to the street, threw them up, imitating the arrival of birds. Sometimes children put the birds on a stick to raise them even higher to the sun. These ritual actions were accompanied by the calls of spring, the children shouted out special chants - the clicks of spring.
After the game, the larks were eaten, but the heads of the birds were not eaten. They were usually given to livestock.
Divination was also common. For example, the hostess baked birds, one for each family member. One had a coin inside. Whoever gets a bird with a coin will be happy all year.
Spring Larks Baking Recipes
How to cook larks for the Spring Equinox? Watch the video recipe:
And here is another recipe - simpler, from yeast-free dough:
Celtic festival Ostara
The holiday, named after the goddess of fertility of the earth named Ostare, is celebrated on the Day of the spring equinox. From that day on, the ancient Celts opened the agricultural season.
The goddess Ostare is one of the most "ancient" goddesses, known from the second millennium BC. It is also associated with the awakening of nature, with the first herbs and flowers.
On this day, the ancient Germans performed rituals for the fertility of fields and trees in the coming season. It was customary to cleanse people of the filth accumulated over the winter.
Popular on this holiday were:
- Dousing with water;
- Fumigation with smoke;
- Jumping over the fire;
- Descent of fiery wheels from the mountain;
- Throwing fire arrows.
After the advent of Christianity, the pagan Spring Equinox merged with the Christian Annunciation.
There are two main symbols of the goddess Ostare. The first of these is the moon hare or rabbit. He symbolized fertility (everyone knows how rabbits breed) and personified rebirth.
According to legend, the goddess Ostare saw a wounded bird in the snow. He took pity on the bird and, wanting to save it from death, turned it into a hare. In its new form, the bird still laid eggs. Therefore, the egg was considered the second symbol of the holiday - a symbol of the Sun and the rebirth of nature.
Eggs were painted with protective symbols, as well as signs of peace, wealth, fertility, etc. on them. The rite is similar to the painting of Easter eggs familiar to us today.
Higan in Japan
The spring equinox in Japan is associated with a Buddhist holiday called Higan. It is a public holiday and a day off for the Japanese.
However, the celebrations last for a whole week: they begin 3 days before the equinox and end 3 days after it ends. The exact date of the equinox is calculated every year at the National Observatory.
The name "khigan" is translated as "that shore" or "the world where the souls of ancestors settled." Accordingly, this is a holiday of veneration of ancestors.
Before the holiday, the Japanese carefully clean their houses and put things in order. They clean the home altar with photographs of ancestors and their personal belongings, put fresh flowers and ritual food.
During the festive week, people in Japan go to the graves of deceased relatives. All ritual foods are vegetarian. This is a tribute to the Buddhist tradition not to kill any living beings and not to eat meat. The basis of the menu are rice, vegetables, beans, root vegetables and vegetable broths.
On holidays, the Japanese visit Buddhist temples, order prayers and pay ritual honors to departed ancestors.
Soon after Higan comes the cherry blossom season, which symbolizes the real rebirth of nature. All the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun go to admire the beautiful and short-term phenomenon.
Turkic Novruz
The traditional holiday Novruz or Nauryz is celebrated by the Turkic and Iranian peoples, it is one of the most ancient holidays in the history of mankind. Not related to Islam, originated in Zoroastrianism and is associated with the astronomical phenomenon of the spring equinox. It is considered the true beginning of the New Year.
Nowruz is currently celebrated on March 21 in Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and other countries. In Russia, this holiday is celebrated in Bashkortostan, Tatarstan and Dagestan.
Preparations for Novruz begin well in advance. Be sure to clean the house, pay off debts, ask for forgiveness for the wrongs caused. Prepare a variety of traditional dishes. Definitely lots of sweets. It is believed that the richer the table, the happier the year will pass.
Germinated wheat greens are often put on the table, which symbolizes the rebirth of nature.
There is a tradition to arrange a fiery festival for Novruz. For example, they make a fire, dance round dances around it. And then they jump over the fire. It is believed that this allows you to cleanse yourself of all ailments and problems.
Thus, the date of the vernal equinox is very important in history and culture. different peoples peace. Everyone on this day welcomes spring, the reborn sun and hopes for a rich harvest.
The day of the vernal equinox (Spring equinox) is one of the most unique phenomena of nature, the essence of which, in scientific terms, is that “at the moment of the equinox, the center of the Sun in its apparent movement along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator.”
On this day, the Earth, rotating around its imaginary axis passing through the poles, while simultaneously moving around the Sun, is in such a position relative to the star that the sun's rays, carrying thermal energy, fall vertically on the equator. The sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and these days in all countries the day is almost equal to the night.
There are spring and autumn equinoxes. UTC (in other time zones, these dates may differ by a day) in the northern hemisphere spring equinox occurs 20th of March when the sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern autumn equinox occurs September 22 or 23(in 2019 - September 23)when the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern. In the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the March equinox is considered autumn, and the September equinox is considered spring.
The spring and autumn equinoxes are considered the astronomical beginning of the respective seasons. The period of time between two equinoxes of the same name is called the tropical year. This year is today adopted for measuring time. There are approximately 365.2422 solar days in a tropical year. That's because of this "approximately" equinox every year falls on different time days, each year advancing by about 6 hours.
On the Day of the spring equinox, many peoples and nationalities of the Earth begin New Year: Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan - almost all countries of the Great Silk Road associate the beginning of the new year with this natural phenomenon.
The ancient scientists of China, India, and Egypt knew very well about the days of the vernal equinox. In ancient times, the spring equinox was considered a great holiday.
In religion in old times the day of the vernal equinox was also assigned important. The date of the Easter holiday, which is celebrated every year at different times, was counted from the day of the vernal equinox as follows: March 21 - the first full moon - the first Sunday, which was considered a holiday.
Many peoples have kept the spring equinox as a holiday in the calendar. For example, in Farsi it is called , which means " new day". Rooted in the traditions of the ancient farmers of the Middle East and Central Asia, the holiday has become an integral part of the culture of many peoples who profess Islam.
In the CIS, the equinox day is celebrated as a national holiday by Tatars, Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks and many other nations. In a number of countries, Navruz is declared a public holiday, and March 21 is a day off.
On this day, light and darkness are divided equally. In ancient times, when there were no calendars, spring was determined by the sun. It was believed that it was from this day that renewals in nature begin: the first spring thunder, swelling of buds on trees, violent germination of greenery.
The day of the spring equinox was especially revered in the pagan faith. It was believed that on this day, in the annual cycle, Spring, personifying the revival and rebirth of nature, replaces Winter.
When the sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere, the autumn equinox occurs.
Speaking of equinox dates, one should distinguish between a date according to universal time and a date for a specific time zone:
if the equinox occurred before 12:00 UT, in some countries located west of the zero meridian, this day may not yet come and, according to local time, the equinox will be considered 1 day earlier;
if the equinox came later than 12:00 UTC, then in some countries located east of the zero meridian, the next day may already come and the date of the equinox will be 1 more.
As conceived by the creators of the Gregorian calendar, the "official" date of the vernal equinox is March 21 (literally "12th day before the April kalends") because such a date of the vernal equinox was at the time of the Council of Nicaea.
The last time in this century the vernal equinox fell on March 21 in 2007 and will fall on March 20 or even March 19 in the 21st century.
Twice a year, on the days of the autumn (September 22-23) and spring (March 20-21) equinoxes, the Earth turns towards the Sun in such a way that the sun's rays fall vertically on the equator. And then all over the globe - at the poles and at the equator, in temperate latitudes and in the tropics - the length of day and night becomes the same. It is curious that in Latin this event is called " aequinoctium”, which translates as “equinox”. In this sense, Germans using the word " Tagundnachtgleiche” (“equality of day and night”) turned out to be more logical.
Autumn in the northern hemisphere. Artens | Shutterstock.com
On the day of the autumnal equinox, the sun crosses the equator and moves into the southern half celestial sphere. From this moment on, astronomical autumn begins in the entire northern hemisphere of the Earth, and darkness takes more and more minutes from light every day! The shortest day of the year, which falls on December 21 or 22, marks the beginning of astronomical winter. After that, daylight hours gradually increase and by the beginning of the third decade of March it becomes equal to the night. On the day of the vernal equinox, autumn comes again on our planet, only this time in the southern hemisphere...
Yellowed leaves. Calin Stan | Shutterstock.com
An interesting fact is that autumn and winter in the northern hemisphere is a week shorter than the autumn-winter season in the southern hemisphere. Since the number of days from the spring equinox to the autumn equinox is 186, and the time interval from the autumn to the spring equinox is only 179 days! The fact is that in the winter of the northern hemisphere, the Earth moves around the heavenly body somewhat faster than in the winter of the southern hemisphere. Because in January Earth passes the closest point of the orbit to the Sun - perihelion. And in perihelion, as you know, the linear velocity of the planet increases! Therefore, we, the inhabitants of the northern latitudes, are in a more favorable position than the inhabitants of the southern latitudes, whose dark and cold season is longer by as much as 7 days!
Spring is coming to Australia. Bui Viet Hung | Shutterstock.com
However, the moment is approaching when we are forced to pass the baton of spring and summer to the inhabitants of the southern hemisphere. This will happen tomorrow. In the meantime, let's enjoy the last hours of the outgoing astronomical summer, especially since the weather is conducive to this!
This year, March 20 is the vernal equinox. At 13:29 Moscow time, the Sun crosses the celestial equator in its apparent movement along the ecliptic. The duration of day and night is the same on the whole Earth and equals 12 hours. The celestial equator is a projection of the earth's equator onto the sphere of fixed stars infinitely distant from us.
The sun does not move along the celestial equator, otherwise the day would be equal to the night every day, - says Alexander Bagrov, a leading researcher at the Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. - No, the Sun moves along the ecliptic, slightly tilted. When the sun rises above the ecliptic, we have a long day. When it gets lower, the nights are long. And only at the moment when the Sun passes through the celestial equator, the day is equal to the night. Therefore, the event is called the equinox, in contrast to the summer and winter solstices.
During the last two events, as the astronomer explains, the Sun is as far as possible from the celestial equator. And then it turns out the longest day of the year - in summer. Or the longest night is in winter.
Since ancient times, the spring equinox symbolizes the beginning of a new cycle in nature. And yet - new beginnings in people's lives. From the point of view of astrology, for example, the date of the vernal equinox is the day when the Sun enters 0 degrees Aries. This point is the beginning of the Zodiac. Once upon a time, the Sun on the day of the vernal equinox really rose against the background of the constellation Aries, but over time, the equinox point has shifted, and now it is actually in the constellation Pisces. Since the signs of the Zodiac are not associated with the constellations, although they bear their names, the first sign of the Zodiac, as before, is called Aries.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring, and has long been celebrated as a time of rebirth, says Boris Manevich, candidate of historical sciences, lecturer at Moscow State University. - This is a day of balance of day and night, light and darkness. In many cultures and religions, various holidays were dated for the day of the vernal equinox. On this day, it was customary to hold all kinds of magical rituals. For example, after a number of preparations, plant seeds in a pot and make a wish. Then the seeds had to be carefully and long looked after so that they would germinate and bear fruit. It was believed that with the appearance of fruits, wishes come true.
Magic is a product of human consciousness. Simply put - fiction, - skeptical astronomer Alexander Bagrov. - It is necessary to understand that people from ancient times were engaged in agriculture or hunting. Both were closely related to the seasons. Either the flight of birds begins, then it's time to plow the land - in general, time had to be counted somehow. Observations helped in this countdown. For example, on March 20, the day is equal to the night. Aha, there is a point of reference! From now on, the day will be longer than the night, you need to get the plow, and after plowing, sow.
As the scientist explained, science even now, unfortunately, does not know everything. And in ancient times knew even less. Therefore, people built all sorts of guesses, reinforced them with rituals, which filled the void of scientific knowledge.
Easily explainable now events - for example, the same spring equinox - were given a certain magical meaning, people believed their own inventions, - Bagrov explained. But we can't repeat their mistakes.
Spring is the time of the awakening of nature, when everything around wakes up after a long hibernation. But still spring is a time full of mysteries and secrets, one of which is the day of the vernal equinox, a date that our ancestors considered special in the annual cycle. What date is the day of the vernal equinox, why was it so important in the past and what is the significance of this event now - all this in our article.
date
Spring equinox - what is it? The answer to this question lies in the very name of the holiday: the time when day equals night. From an astronomical point of view, it looks like this: the line separating the illuminated and unlit parts of the planet runs strictly along the poles, at right angles to the equator.
Regardless of the annual cycle, whether it is a leap year or not, the vernal equinox always falls on the same date - March 20th. Yes, there are deviations from this date, but they are extremely rare - for example, in the 21st century, the first such deviation will be only in 2096; This year the equinox falls on March 19th.
Calendar quirks
Did you know that the entire Gregorian calendar - the reckoning that we all use today - was built around the vernal equinox? Yes, it was from this day that the countdown of the new year began. True, at the time when this calendar was put into effect - and this was the 15th century - the equinox fell on March 21st. So in a sense, this day can still be called a holiday today.
There are two days in the annual cycle when day equals night - these are the spring and autumn equinoxes. In 2019, autumn falls on September 23. By the way, due to the difference in seasons for those who live in the countries of the southern hemisphere, September 23 will be considered the date of the spring equinox. Paradoxical, right?
This event is the date of the beginning of astronomical spring, that is, from the position of astronomy as a science, the new season begins not on the first, but on the twentieth of March. The same applies to the autumnal equinox - this point serves as the starting point for astronomical autumn.
On this day, the sun rises exactly in the east, and sets exactly in the west (deviations from geographical points in fractions of minutes, that is, so insignificant that they can be neglected). The situation is similar with the date of the autumnal equinox.
Equinox is a special day
This date is considered special by almost every nation. Judge for yourself - in a huge number of countries, any holidays are “tied” to March 19-23, rooted in the deep past. This is Navruz or Nauryz, well-known to us, celebrated by the Turkic peoples, and Magpies or Larks among the Slavs, and Khigan in Japan. The Annunciation in Orthodoxy also falls at the end of March, and Sabantuy, widely celebrated by the Tatars and Bashkirs, once also fell on the second half of March.
The fact that at the beginning of spring there is a time when the day is equal in duration to the night, and the sun rises at a strictly defined point, was noticed in ancient times. Many archaeological sites of the past are associated with the day of the equinox - Stonehenge, the pyramids of Egypt, the constructions of the Aztecs and Mayans, the temples of India and China. Many signs and customs associated with this event have survived to this day.
Traditions and customs
Initially, this day was filled with a special meaning - at this time, Light and Darkness, Good and Evil, Heat and Cold converged in a duel. Naturally, the good side won, because after the equinox, the days became longer and the nights shorter, warmth returned to the earth after the winter cold, nature woke up, forests and mountains, steppes and meadows were filled with sounds. Many customs were associated with these beliefs, some of which have survived to this day.
On the night before the equinox, it was customary to burn bonfires - yes, all night long - to help Light defeat Darkness. But at the same time, it was not advisable to leave the house - at the very least, one should spend as little time as possible on the street and certainly not wander in the dark without a torch or candle. Dark forces they are insidious and, before an inevitable defeat, they will certainly try to take revenge on people, to recoup their loss. But to meet the holiday of the beginning of spring should certainly be noisy and fun - so that all nature would rejoice together with man at the arrival of warmth and sun.
Equinox is a day full of secrets. It is not surprising that at this time it was customary to guess. But not for the bride or groom, but for whether the coming year will be prosperous or unhappy. Each nation had its own divination, but we, of course, are closer to our Slavic ones. So, for example, the housewives baked a pea or a small stone, sometimes a coin, in the "oven" - pies, cakes, buns in the form of small birds, which were usually baked on Zhavoronki. Whoever gets the coin from the family will have good luck all year.
See video about the rituals of the vernal equinox:
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