Juhli kevätpäiväntasausta ja kevään alkua!
In 2022, the kevätpäiväntasaus occurs on Sunday, March 20. This event marks the astronomical kevään ensimmäinen päivä in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of the spring season. What does equinox mean? What happens on the equinox? What determines the first day of spring?
What Is the Spring Equinox?
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Maaliskuun päiväntasaus (aka spring equinox tai vernal equinox) occurs when Aurinko ylittää päiväntasaajan ja suuntaa pohjoiseen. This event marks the start of the spring season in the northern half of the globe. After this date, the Northern Hemisphere begins to be tilted more toward the Sun, resulting in increasing daylight hours and warming temperatures. (In the Southern Hemisphere, it's the opposite: the March equinox marks the start of syksy, as the Southern Hemisphere begins to be tilted away from the Sun.)
When Is the First Day of Spring?
In 2022, the March equinox happens on Sunday, March 20, at 11:33 AM EDT. In the Northern Hemisphere, this date marks the start of the spring season.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the March equinox marks the start of autumn, while the Syyskuun päiväntasaus marks the start of spring.
What Happens on the March Equinox?
On the March equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator going south to north. It's called the "celestial" equator because it's an imaginary line in the sky above the Earth's equator.
If you were standing on the equator, the Sun would pass directly overhead on its way north.
Equinoxes are the only two times each year that the Sun rises due east and sets due west for all of us on Earth!
While the Sun passes overhead, the tilt of the Earth is zero relative to the Sun, which means that Earth's axis neither points toward nor away from the Sun. (Note, however, that the Earth never orbits upright, but is always tilted on its axis by about 23.5 degrees.)
After the spring equinox, the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun. Although in most locations (the North Pole and Equator being exceptions) the amount of daylight had been increasing each day after the winter solstice, after the spring equinox, many places will experience more daylight than darkness in each 24-hour day. The amount of daylight each day will continue to increase until the summer solstice in June, during which the longest period of daylight occurs.
How Do You Celebrate the Vernal Equinox?
To us, the vernal equinox signals new beginnings and nature's renewal in the Northern Hemisphere.
Many cultures celebrate with spring festivals, such as Easter and Passover.
Observe nature around you!
· Are worms and grubs reappearing? (The March Full Moon is called the "Worm Moon" for this very reason!)
· Watch the arc of the Sun across the sky as it shifts toward the north. Birds are migrating northward, along with the path of the Sun.
· Are you noticing that the days are getting longer? Did you know that the increasing sunlight inspires birds to sing? Cool, eh? Enjoy our Bird Songs page.
· Are daffodils poking up their heads? Trees, shrubs, and flowers are sensitive to temperature and day length, too! Since ancient days, people have used natural events as indicators of when the weather is right for planting. For example: Blooming crocus are your cue to plant radishes, parsnips, and spinach. See more of nature's signs.
· Can you feel the Sun getting stronger? The longer days bring high temperatures. Both we and the animals around us discard our warm clothes and heavy coats!
· Do you plan to garden? See which days are the best planting dates according to your local frost dates or consult our Vegetable Gardening for Beginners guide for gardening tips!
· Are you craving fresh foods after a long winter? A Spring Tonic, using the early greens of spring, may be just the thing you need! Also, find some new spring recipes using what's fresh and seasonal!