Welcoming Spring
According to the astronomical calendar the first day of spring will occur tomorrow, Saturday, March 20, 2021. This is the time that the sun will shine directly on the equator marking almost equal amounts of day and night. This also marks the first official day of spring.
Since the winter solstice, which marked the day with the shortest amount of daylight, the daylight hours have gradually been getting longer. However, the nighttime darkness has still been longer than the daylight. The spring equinox brings about a change when the amount of daylight will now be longer than the darkness. This is why spring is a celebration of rebirth as the light begins to win over the darkness.
The spring equinox is also commonly referred to as the vernal equinox. The word vernal means new or fresh, relating to new beginnings or a fresh start. There are new signs of life in spring when the landscape begins to wake from its long winter slumber.
As darkness fades and light prevails the land awakens again with trees beginning to bud, new growth of plants emerging from the ground, and spring flowers showing their colors in the garden.
