Feast of the Vernal Equinox

The holiday of the spring equinox in many countries is considered the beginning of a new annual cycle, and is also used in astronomical calculations and tracking the seasons.

What date is the Vernal Equinox Day?

In scientific terms, on the Day of the Vernal Equinox, the Earth, revolving around its axis and simultaneously around the Sun, is at a point where the sun's rays fall on the planet almost at right angles around the equator. If to say more simply, it is on this day that the planet occupies such a position, in which the day is approximately equal to the night. It is from here that the name "equinox" has gone. The vernal equinox is contrasted with the autumn equinox. It is these days that are astronomically considered the beginning of the corresponding seasons. Due to the fact that the astronomical year (365, 2422 days) is not exactly equal to the calendar (365 days), the date of the Vernal Equinox Day is celebrated on March 20 at different times of the day. The same happens with the Autumnal Equinox. It falls either on 22, or on September 23.

How do they celebrate the vernal equinox?

As already mentioned above, in many countries the celebration of the Vernal Equinox Day personifies the beginning of the new year. This is customary, for example, in states such as Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. On this day, in such countries, there are wide-scale festivities with treats, dances, songs and other fun-filled entertainments, sports games, as well as a variety of costumed performances. It is customary to visit friends and relatives, sometimes even present small gifts in honor of the beginning of the new year. Also this day is considered the day when spring comes on the earth, nature awakens and its preparation for a new fruitful season begins.

The Day of the Vernal Equinox was especially venerated among the Slavs, and now some of their followers are trying to revive the rituals of this holiday. In the ancient Slavic tribes that have pagan faith, on this day, Spring, embodying warmth, good, fruitful force, giving birth to a new life, came to replace Winter, associated with death, hunger and cold. The traditions of the celebration of the Vernal Equinox included all kinds of rituals, representing the farewell to Winter and the meeting of Spring.