You could be forgiven for missing it but yesterday marked the beginning of astronomical spring here in the Northern Hemisphere.
The reason you might have missed this was because spring seemed to be just about everywhere, and people were out enjoying it. All over the region survivors of winter were seen shedding coats and scarves, donning sun glasses and heading to the coast to buy an ice cream from Joe’s.
This time of year has always been special for our ancestors. Even with everything that’s happening in the world our knowledge of science and the way the universe works means we can be pretty sure that winter won’t last forever. I must admit, I’ve had my doubts this year. It did seem that the dark days and rain and wind would last forever. Can you imagine how our cavemen and women ancestors must have felt. They would have hoped and prayed that winter would finally leave without ever really knowing that it would so when it did they marked it with heartfelt thanks.
All of this is down to what is known as the spring equinox. An equinox occurs when the Sun appears right above the earth’s equator. Over the past 6 months the sun has favoured the Southern Hemisphere but for the next 6 months, day by day, it will start to favour the North. That will mean longer days and hopefully warmer temperatures. (All of this is basically reversed in the Southern Hemisphere where they are now looking forward to autumn and winter).
Spring might have officially started yesterday but there have been signs it’s been on its way for the past week or so. I’m not surprised that the plants and trees in my garden have hidden away since late last year. They have been battered and drowned on a weekly basis. Every time I’ve opened a window just to ‘air’ the house it feels as if I’ve been taking my life in my hands wondering what picture frame or mirror might be blown off the wall with some unexpected gust.
For me the arrival of spring has been marked by a tree at the side of my house. It’s relatively new and took a while to get its roots sorted but last year it really came into its own. Throughout the summer I would sit there watching the birds play amongst its branches. In the late summer and into autumn it was a joy to see them they stripping the tree of its fruits as they prepared for winter. Finally, the green leaves turned brown and covered the floor.
All winter long it’s looked a bit of a sorry sight. That’s until recently when I started seeing some small buds at the end of the branches, not much at first, but every day they grew just a little more. It seems that nature can divine the change in the seasons even without the aid of a calendar or a scientist.
This week its appears that every plant and shrub has also heard the call to come back to life. It can only be days until we start hearing the lawn mowers of the region whine back into action.
For our ancestors this time of year was celebrated because as well as signifying the end of a long winter it also meant the beginning of the growing season, new life and a chance to feel the sun on their faces. This has been celebrated for centuries all across the Northern Hemisphere with different cultures celebrating in different ways.
Yesterday morning hundreds of people headed to Stonehenge to watch the sunrise. This has become so popular in recent years that you can actually book yourself onto a special Stonehenge experience with a VIP collection service coach trip.
In Mexico they have the Pyramid Celebrations. Thousands dressed in white are drawn to The Pyramid of The Sun hoping to receive special spiritual energy. It’s believed the Aztecs built this pyramid over 2000 years ago and ever since people have gathered there at this time to celebrate.
In India and Nepal Hindus have been celebrating the change in the seasons with a festival known as HOLI, the festival of colours. They see the end of winter as the triumph of good over evil and after the winter we’ve had it would be hard to disagree. This really is a colourful festival, people dressed in bright clothes as they smear bright colours onto their family and friends. Children often use water pistols to spray each other with coloured water. As with so many of these spring festivals HOLI is celebrated with special food and bonfires.
In Japan they have been celebrating Shunbun no Hi. It’s a time for families to get to together and possibly visit the graves of their ancestors. They might visit a garden together and of course there is special food.
And then there is Iran. Nowruz, which literally means ‘New Day’ in Persian, marks days of festivities to celebrate the start of the Persian New Year. The build up to Nowruz usually involves spring cleaning and preparing for big family gatherings. Whilst Iran has been predominantly Muslim for over a thousand years this festival’s roots go back much further to a time when the major religions of the region were linked to the sun like Mithraism or fire as in Zoroastrianism. That is possibly why the Fire Festival (Chaharshanbe Suri) takes place just prior to Nowruz.
In recent years the Iranian government have viewed with suspicion the festival of Nowruz as it has seen outbreaks of civil disobedience and unrest as people have protested against the regime. This year they appear to have embraced the festival as a sign of defiance in the midst of war.
This current war feels unending, even though it has only been going for 2 weeks, and already its impact is being felt globally. As I look back at the thousands of years of celebrating the return of spring I’m reminded that some things outlive current troubles and I will believe that this too shall pass.