Spring is the time of awakening of nature, when everything around wakes up after a long winter hibernation. But spring is also a time full of mysteries and secrets, one of which is the vernal equinox, a date that our ancestors considered special in the annual cycle. What date is the vernal equinox, why was it so important in the past and what significance does this event have now - all this is discussed in our article.
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Spring equinox - what is it? The answer to this question lies in the very name of the holiday: the time when the day equal to night. From an astronomical point of view, it looks like this: the line dividing the illuminated and unlit parts of the planet runs strictly along the poles, at right angles to the equator.
Regardless of the annual cycle, whether it is a leap year or not, the vernal equinox always falls on the same date - March 20. Yes, there are deviations from this date, but they are extremely rare - for example, in the 21st century, the first such deviation will be only in 2096; this year the equinox falls on March 19th.
Quirks of the calendar
Did you know that the entire Gregorian calendar - the calendar we all use today - was built around the vernal equinox? Yes, yes, it was from this day that the countdown of the new year began. True, at the time when this calendar was put into effect - and this was the 15th century - the equinox fell on March 21. So, in a sense, this day can still be called a holiday.
There are two days in the annual cycle when day is equal to night - these are the spring and autumn equinoxes. In 2019, autumn falls on September 23. By the way, due to the difference in seasons, for those living in the countries of the southern hemisphere, September 23 will be considered the date of the vernal equinox. Paradoxical, isn't it?
This event is the date of the beginning of astronomical spring, that is, from the position of astronomy as a science, the new season begins not on the first, but on the twentieth of March. The same goes for autumn equinox– this point serves as the beginning of the countdown of astronomical autumn.
On this day, the sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west (deviations from geographical points are a fraction of minutes, that is, so insignificant that they can be neglected). The situation is similar with the date of the autumn equinox.
Equinox - a special day
This date is considered special for almost every nation. Judge for yourself - a huge number of countries have some holidays “attached” to March 19-23, their roots going back to the deep past. This is the well-known Navruz or Nauryz celebrated Turkic peoples, and Magpies or Larks among the Slavs, and Higan in Japan. The Annunciation in Orthodoxy also falls at the end of March, and Sabantuy, widely celebrated by the Tatars and Bashkirs, once also fell in the second half of March.
The fact that at the beginning of spring there is a time when the day is equal in length to the night, and the sun rises at a strictly defined point, was noticed in ancient times. Many archaeological monuments of the past are associated with the day of the equinox - Stonehenge, the pyramids of Egypt, buildings of the Aztecs and Mayans, temples of India and China. Many signs and customs associated with this event have survived to this day.
Traditions and customs
Initially, this day was filled with a special meaning - at this time Light and Darkness, Good and Evil, Heat and Cold met in a duel. Naturally, the good side won, because after the equinox the days became longer and the nights shorter, warmth returned to the earth after the winter cold, nature woke up, the forests and mountains, steppes and meadows were filled with sounds. Many customs were associated with these beliefs, some of which have survived to this day.
On the night before the equinox, it was customary to burn bonfires - yes, all night long - to help Light defeat Darkness. But at the same time, it was not advisable to leave the house - at least, you should spend as little time on the street as possible and certainly not wander in the dark without a torch or candle. Dark forces are insidious and, before inevitable defeat, they will certainly try to take revenge on people, to recoup their loss. But the holiday of the beginning of spring should certainly be celebrated noisily and cheerfully - so that all nature would rejoice along with people at the arrival of warmth and sun.
The equinox is a day full of secrets. It is not surprising that at this time it was customary to guess. But not on the bride or groom, but on whether the coming year will be prosperous or unlucky. Each nation had its own fortune-telling, but, of course, our Slavic ones are closer to us. So, for example, housewives baked a pea or a small pebble, sometimes a coin, in a “bake” - pies, flat cakes, buns in the shape of small birds, which were customary to bake on Zhavoronki. Whichever family member gets the coin will have good luck all year.
Look video about the rituals of the Vernal Equinox:
Since ancient times, people have known what an equinox is, although the physical essence of the phenomenon could only be explained with the advent of astronomy. There are two days a year - the spring and autumn equinox, which are very important. At this time, the Sun passes a certain point where the ecliptic and equator intersect.
Astronomical event
For astronomy, the days of the solstice and equinox play an important role. So what is the equinox and why does it occur?
As is known, an astronomical event is associated with the inclination of the axis of our planet and the orbit of the star. The Earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees and has a Southern and Northern Hemisphere that receive almost equal amounts of light. Because of this, the length of day and night is almost equal throughout the planet, with the exception of certain areas. But twice a year the lighting is uniform throughout the entire planet. After these two days a year, the nights in the Northern Hemisphere become longer and the days become shorter.
Typically, sunlight reaches the planet's surface only at one pole, while it is night at the other. And only on the days of the equinox do the rays of the Sun reach both poles so that they illuminate half of the planet, while the other half remains night.
Dates
The equinox number always shifts. This is due to the fact that the Earth rotates around our star not in a circle, but in an ellipse. As a result of this movement, the spring equinox falls on March 20-12, and the autumn equinox on September 22-23. The day itself is equal in length to the night.
The vernal equinox
One of the unique natural phenomena is the spring equinox. At this moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator. During the movement of the Earth and the Sun, a moment arises when the rays of the luminary fall vertically on the equator. During the transition of the Sun from one hemisphere of the planet to another, day and night remain equal.
The day of the equinox is considered to be the beginning of the astronomical season. The period from spring to spring day is considered a tropical year. It has approximately 365.24 days. Because of this partial 366th day, the day moves forward by almost six hours.
What is the equinox for people and how does it affect the planet? For many peoples, on the day of the spring equinox, New Year. This day is of great importance for Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Some other Silk Road countries also associate the beginning of the new year with this natural phenomenon.
On this day, darkness and light are equal. There was a time when there were no calendars. At that time, the beginning of spring was determined precisely by the day of the equinox. It is believed that from this day the renewal of nature begins - the trees wake up, the first thunder can be heard, greenery begins to grow.
On the occasion of the spring equinox, our ancestors rolled burning wheels down a hill as a sign of respect to the Sun, its symbol. Celebrations took place all over the country - people burned bonfires, jumped over them, danced, and played tug of war. On the spring equinox, they prepared baked goods and treated them to loved ones, relatives, and gave them as gifts to their ancestors.
Autumn day
What is the equinox and when does it occur, as celebrated by the peoples of the world? An autumn day coincides with a large number of different celebrations.
IN Ancient Greece A beautiful legend was associated with the autumn equinox, according to which the goddess of fertility Persephone returns to Hades in the underworld. On this day, various magical rituals should be performed and the successes and failures of the past months should be assessed.
In China, the Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is held on this day. This day celebrates the abundance of the harvest. Traditionally, moon pie is prepared on this day, to which goose eggs, lotus, dried fruits, and sesame are added.
Higan is celebrated in Japan. Usually on this day the Japanese commemorate the deceased and decorate their graves. Higan began to be celebrated back in the nineteenth century.
In mid-autumn, the pagans celebrated Mabon - a holiday of the cycle of the seasons. It marks the harvest of the second harvest, the beginning of winter preparations. It was customary on this day to “go out into nature”, collect leaves and seeds.
After the equinox, when our star moves to the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern, an astronomical change of seasons begins on Earth. So, spring comes to the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn comes to the Southern Hemisphere.
On the days of the equinox on the planet, day and night are equal to 12 hours. Although this statement has a small caveat, because at the North Pole and in the southern regions time is running otherwise. The “almost” equal day and night are not actually equal. If you carry out precise mathematical calculations, the day turns out to be longer than the night. Its duration is 12 hours 12 minutes.
Since ancient times, people have known what an equinox is and how the Sun moves across the sky. These days the star rises strictly in the east and sets strictly in the west. After the spring equinox, the Sun will begin to rise higher, and the length of the day will increase. In autumn the process occurs in reverse direction: The days become shorter and the nights become longer.
Our ancestors believed that on the days of the equinox you could find out your husband’s name and make wishes that would come true.
An equinox is an astronomical period when the center of the Sun “crosses” the celestial equator, while it is completely perpendicular to the Earth's equator. If we talk about the northern hemisphere, then at the autumn equinox, namely on September 22 or 23, the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern. And at this time the day is almost equal to the night, which is why it got its name. And the Sun rises almost directly in the east and sets directly in the west.
Each nation celebrates this day in its own way, having its own traditions. For example, in Rus' it is customary to bake cabbage or lingonberry pies, organize festivities, and insert rowan tassels between window frames as a talisman. And among the Celts it is a harvest festival, a holiday of autumn and wisdom. And they have their own rituals - they first show everyone the best gifts of summer, and then eat them, which guarantees enough food for the whole year.
Autumn breaks up with summer,
She sometimes cries, sometimes she laughs,
Then suddenly it starts to rain,
Then suddenly everything will be flooded with sunshine,
Equinox of nature,
Variety of weather!
Day today is equal to night,
Tomorrow it will become shorter
But that's tomorrow, and now,
Happy equinox to all of you!
And although nature fades away,
Don't let this scare you,
She needs to rest too
Gain new strength, take a nap,
And I, in autumn bad weather,
I wish you LOVE and HAPPINESS!
Autumn is in the yard,
The leaves are gilded with a brush,
And today is day and night
Exactly the same!
The equinox has arrived
A star fell from the sky,
Let her bring you
Happiness, joy for the whole year!
Today the day has become equal to the night,
Autumn sends us its greetings.
I wish you a magical day
I wish you good health and many years to come.
Equinox today -
A magical day, not an easy one.
May a surprise be sent to you
A capricious fate.
On the autumn equinox,
I congratulate you,
Peace, harmony
I wish in my heart.
Let the foliage cover
From troubles and insults,
And the path to balance
Will be open.
The day of the autumnal equinox is today,
And there is no reason to be sad.
It's time to send your soul into flight,
She should soar with joy.
I want smiles on this day to see the sea,
Let the veil of lies disappear forever.
So that your families prosper,
Let their hearts drink in love.
Today we will celebrate the holiday.
After all, day and night are equal again!
Winter is not far away,
Don't borrow heat from us!
The equinox is now
Let the sun shine in the skies
To give us a reserve of strength,
To live like in fairy-tale dreams!
The day has settled on the scales
The second night settled in,
Happy children of the universe,
Noisy son and quiet daughter.
The minutes were divided in half,
The two divided the hours,
Autumn equinox day
You gave us a gift today.
I wish that nights and days
You filled me to the brim with happiness,
So that we can live in harmony
And the minutes of love were not counted.
Autumn is playing outside the window,
I brushed the leaves off the apple tree,
Equinox is visiting us
Stopped by for a day.
Day and night do not argue at all -
On this autumn day.
The sun rose above the earth,
The Quarter takes its source again!
May you achieve it in life
You're the same height
Let it be like the sun at its zenith
You always shine for people!
Day and night have already come together as equals,
So, we have crossed that threshold,
When summer was full,
And now it’s an autumn evening
Reminded us that frost is near,
The cold, the cold will soon be here,
Autumn will take possession of the lush garden,
And shake off his confident arrogance.
Give me your hand, let's sit with you,
On a park bench by the stream,
We are always - in summer and winter,
We'll be together - just you and me!
Congratulations: 25 in verse.
There are four moments in the annual cycle that play a significant role in life on Earth.
People have long known about the existence of these transition points, but the physical essence of these phenomena became clear only with the development. We are talking about two solstices (winter and summer) and two equinoxes (spring and autumn).
What is solstice?
At the everyday level, we understand that the solstice is the day with the longest (summer solstice) or shortest (winter solstice) daylight hours. Our distant ancestors knew well that before the winter solstice the day shortens, and after it begins to increase. In summer, the opposite happens. It was also noticed that on the day of the winter solstice the sun occupies its lowest position above the horizon, and at the moment of the summer solstice it passes highest point for the whole year.
What is happening to our planet and the Sun from a scientific point of view? Let's remember some astronomical concepts.
Celestial sphere- an imaginary surface that we look at when we are on Earth and looking around the sky. For us, earthly observers, it is along the celestial sphere that everything moves celestial objects, including the Sun.
Ecliptic- a circle located on the celestial sphere along which the Sun moves relative to the Earth.
celestial sphere– a circle located perpendicular to the celestial sphere coincides with the Earth’s equator.
Due to the fact that the Earth's axis is inclined to the planet's orbit around our star, the equator of the celestial sphere and the ecliptic do not coincide. Due to this, the seasons change with moments of transition - solstices.
On the day of the solstice, the Sun passes through the points of the ecliptic that are furthest from the celestial equator. Otherwise, it can be expressed this way: solstices are the moments of the greatest (in winter) or smallest (in summer) deviation of the earth’s axis from the Sun.
Winter and summer solstice
The winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 (the date may vary in different time zones). This day marks the shortest daylight hours and longest night in the northern hemisphere. The summer solstice falls on June 21 and is distinguished by the fact that this date has the longest daylight hours and the shortest night. 
In the southern hemisphere, exactly the opposite processes occur: there is a summer solstice in December, and a winter solstice in June.
What is an equinox?
There are two more important points in the annual cycle - the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes. These days the Sun passes the intersection points of the celestial equator and the ecliptic. The days of the equinoxes fall in the middle of the period from one solstice to the next (although due to the fact that the earth moves around the Sun not in a circle, but in an ellipse, the dates shift slightly).
The spring equinox falls on March 20 or 21, the autumn equinox on September 22 or 23. As the name suggests, equinoxes are the times when day is equal in length to night.
How do the solstices and equinoxes affect life on Earth?
People have always known that critical points in the movement of our star across the celestial sphere affect nature. This is especially true for residents northern latitudes, where the change of seasons is more pronounced. For example, from the day of the March equinox, real spring comes to us: it becomes warmer, the soil warms up, and plants come to life. This is of great importance for agriculture.
It is no coincidence that the agricultural calendar has always been associated with the days of the solstices and equinoxes. Important pagan holidays fell on these dates, some of which were adopted by Christianity. These are the holidays:
Winter solstice - Catholic Christmas and Kolyada;
Spring equinox - Maslenitsa;
Summer solstice - the holiday of Ivan Kupala;
The autumn equinox is a harvest festival. 
As you can see, even in the technocratic 21st century we celebrate these events without even thinking that they are related to the annual solar cycle and how dependent our ancestors were on natural phenomena.
The night from December 21 to 22 is special. Firstly, this will be the moment of the Winter Solstice (1:23 am on December 22, Moscow time). Secondly, the Moon will be in the full moon phase, its maximum light, and also in Taurus, the sign of its exaltation (Vedic horoscope).
Equinox Day 2018
The night from December 21 to 22 will be the longest in 2018 in the entire northern hemisphere. This phenomenon occurs because it is at this time that the tilt of the Earth’s axis of rotation relative to the Sun becomes greatest. In the calendar, this date is called the Winter Solstice. The exact date and time of the winter solstice in 2018: Greenwich time - December 21 at 22 hours 23 minutes GMT Kiev time - December 22 at 00 hours 23 minutes Moscow time - December 22 at 01 hours 23 minutes December 21 and 22 are the most short days years, and between them is the longest night of the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, astronomical summer will begin at the winter solstice. In astrology, the winter solstice is the moment the Sun passes into the constellation Capricorn and the beginning of astronomical winter, which will last until the spring equinox.
WHY IS THIS DAY IMPORTANT?
Firstly, we have 4 important points in the wheel of the year - the spring and autumn equinox, summer and winter solstices. They share solar year on the cross - a key symbol of the cyclical nature of the universe and the Sun (Slavic and Vedic swastika).
Each of these 4 stages has its own qualities, and on the day of the Winter Solstice, we in the northern hemisphere experience the longest, darkest night, after which the day begins to grow.
Secondly, in 2018 this day coincides with the full moon - a special phase of the moon during which we receive the maximum light from the night luminary. This day is very important for practice and work with intention; rituals are performed on it.
START OF A NEW CYCLE
The Winter Solstice is the moment of the rebirth of the Sun, when there will be more and more of its light. Within our human cycle, this corresponds to spiritual ascent, a movement from darkness to light. The full moon enhances the energies of this day, further charging the practices and intentions that are worth doing on this day.
Such an important day in the annual cycle should not be overlooked. Our ancestors always carried out holiday rituals on days like these, which demonstrated their deep understanding of the laws of the universe, connection with the cycles of nature, and life in harmony with the surrounding world and space. Recommended Practices:
1. Cleansing. To enter the new, you need to leave the old. Therefore, the day before it will be very good to do cleansing practices:
- House cleaning, getting rid of old things.
- Cleansing the body. Any method of cleansing or unloading the body that is accessible and indicated for your health.
- Paying off debts, completing “defects.” Sit down and make a list of what you owe someone, or once promised, or maybe promised yourself, started and didn’t finish. You can complete some things already before December 22, and some in the near future to make room for a new cycle.
- Forgiveness and letting go of grievances. Practice forgiveness. Remember and write down situations, people with whom you have grievances, write words of forgiveness, speak out loud, release them from the emotional field with gratitude. Burn this piece of paper. The book “Radical Forgiveness” by K. Tipping will help you.
Our ancestors knew and respected the laws of nature, so they celebrated events such as the winter solstice.
Despite the enormous progress achieved, even modern technologies unable to disrupt the magic of natural cycles: lunar day will not change places, and summer will not come after autumn.
In 2018, the winter solstice will occur on December 22 at 01:23 am Moscow time. On this day the Sun reaches its lowest position. Then, at the end of December and January, daylight hours become longer.
In astrology, on this day the Sun moves from the zodiac sign Sagittarius to the sign Capricorn, and astrological winter begins.
Note that on the night of December 21-22, astronomical winter begins. This is because the height of the sun in the sky is the lowest on this day. In the old days, our ancestors celebrated this day at night, before sunrise. Various rituals and conspiracies were performed.
The traditions of many peoples meant celebrating the winter solstice as the birth of a new Sun.
It is worth saying that our ancestors tried to prepare their homes for the Winter Solstice: general cleaning was carried out, and the outside of the rooms and houses was decorated with fir branches.
The winter solstice was considered New Year among the Slavs. The celebration was called in honor of Kolyada, the god of the new Sun.
As for the longest day, it is observed on June 22, then gradually declines. At the end of June, the days begin to gradually decrease, and by December they will reach their minimum. In the northernmost cities there will even be a polar night.
In turn, the day of the autumnal equinox occurs from September 21 to 23, when the day is the same length as the night. After this day, the night begins to increase and the day decreases.
According to universal time, the spring equinox occurs on March 22, when the Sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern. This is the period when day is almost equal to night.