The Vernal Equinox officially marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere and fall in the southern hemisphere. The official time for Vernal Equinox 2010 is 1:32 p.m. EST on March 20.
There are two equinoxes during the year, the spring equinox, sometimes called "vernal equinox," which falls around March 20th and the autumn equinox which falls around September 23rd.
This is a special day all around the world in ancient traditions like Mexico, where thousands alike come from all over to celebrate the Vernal Equinox at the site of Ancient Mayan ruins in Chichen Itza. There are festivales de primavera, that take place to celebrate the beginning of spring as you see children on parade dressed up as flowers and animals. All of the festivities are centered around the Sun.
On the equinox the sun is positioned directly over the equator. The word "equinox" means "equal night" because on the equinox the night is equal in length to the day.
This is a time of celebration by traditions around the world, and is a time of fertility, regeneration and rebirth.
The Mayan archaeological site of Chichen Itza is the most popular spot in Mexico to celebrate the spring equinox. The site's most famous building, The Kulkulkan temple, is the site of a dramatic display of Mayan astronomical knowledge. Every year on the autumn and spring equinoxes the light of the sun makes a play of light and shadow which makes it look like a serpent is slithering along the steps of the pyramid. The effect begins in the late afternoon, around 4 pm, and lasts for an hour or so. The serpent appears for a few days - from around March 19th to the 23rd, but on the actual date of the equinox the effect is most obvious. [read more]
The archaeological site of Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, is also a favorite spot to celebrate the Spring Equinox. On this date hundreds of thousands of visitors visit the site, many dressed all in white. They climb to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun where they perform rituals and stretch out their arms to receive the special energy they believe is present on that day.
Avid "Seinfeld" fans might remember the episode when Jerry's friend, George, was desperately trying to find a way to postpone his impending Christmastime wedding with his fiancée, Susan. He finally comes up with a solution:
"Have the wedding on March 21 - the first day of spring!"
Unfortunately, if George had gone through with the nuptials (and Seinfeld aficionados know why he never did), he would have been a full day late. You see, in America, spring no longer falls on March 21.
Now this doesn't seem right. I mean, when we were all growing up, the first day of spring was always on March 21, not March 20, right? Now all of a sudden spring comes on March 20.
While it's true that we've traditionally celebrated the beginning of spring on March 21, astronomers and calendar manufacturers alike now say that the spring season starts one day earlier, March 20, in all time zones in North America. Unheard of? Not if you look at the statistics. In fact, did you know that during the 20th Century, March 21 was actually the exception rather than the rule?
The vernal equinox landed on March 21, only 36 out of 100 years. And from 1981 to 2102, Americans will celebrate the first day of spring no later than March 20.
In 2012, those living in Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific, Mountain and Central time zones will see spring begin even earlier: on March 19.
And in 2016, it will start on March 19 for the entire United States.
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