As we prepare to say farewell to a long bout of winter weather, sunshine, blossoming flower buds, and the return of outdoor activities seem like a welcome reprieve. Show While spring has not yet (officially!) sprung, warmer and sunnier weather has already been making a few guest appearances. With a taste of sunnier days to come, you might be wondering what the spring equinox is and when it will happen. What is the spring equinox?The spring equinox, also known as the March equinox or vernal equinox, is a harbinger of the season, marking upcoming time spent tending to your garden and long outdoor walks beneath a warm sun. It’s a designated day that marks the astronomical first day of spring for the Northern Hemisphere. The spring equinox takes place when the sun crosses the equator line moving north, making the Northern Hemisphere tilt a little closer to the sun, which in turn leads to more daylight and warmer temps, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. What makes an equinox so cool, aside from the beginning of a new season? The fact that it only happens twice a year, and it’s the only time that the sun rises due east and sets due west for the entire globe! When is the spring equinox in 2022?So, when does spring actually start? The spring equinox occurs Sunday, March 20th at 11:33 a.m. EDT. In signifying the first day of spring, the vernal equinox marks the point at which the sun hovers above the equator and day and night are (about) equal in length, according to the Farmers Almanac. After March 20th, the length of daylight will increase each day until we reach the summer solstice or the first day of summer and the day with the longest amount of daylight. Meanwhile, for the Southern Hemisphere, the spring equinox occurs on September 22. While some believe March 1 signifies the first day of spring, we’re inclined to follow the sun’s path, so to speak. So whenever you choose to celebrate, just be sure that you do—spring is a time for beauty and new beginnings, and we can all find a bit of joy in that.
Shannen ZitzFreelance Editorial Assistant Shannen Zitz is a Freelance Editorial Assistant at Prevention who recently graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland with an English degree. She loves all things fashion, beauty, and wellness. If she’s not reading or writing, you can probably find her frequenting the skincare and makeup forums on Reddit. It’s almost time to bid farewell to winter and put out the welcome mat for the first day of spring 2022. Even though we had a few tastes of spring during the past two weeks, with temperatures rising into the 70s and breaking daily records in some parts of New Jersey, the real first day of spring will officially arrive this weekend with the spring equinox. The first day of spring is Sunday, March 20, two days after the full March “worm moon” will be shining in the night sky. The new season technically starts at 11:33 a.m. Eastern time this Sunday, which is when the sun will be shining directly on the Earth’s equator, bringing almost equal minutes of daylight and darkness all around the globe. That moment is widely known as the spring equinox, but some people call it the March equinox or the vernal equinox. Here are some additional facts about the first day of spring. The spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, will arrive this weekend, marking the official start of the 2022 spring season in the northern hemisphere.Why is it called the spring equinox?The word equinox was formed by two Latin words: “Equi” is the Latin prefix for “equal” and “nox” is the Latin word for “night.” The other name of this annual occurrence, the vernal equinox, was derived from the word “vernal,” which translates to “new” and “fresh,” according to the Farmers’ Almanac, a rival publication of the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Does spring always start on the same day?The spring equinox doesn’t arrive on the same day every year, but it always falls on one of these three days here in the northern hemisphere: March 19, March 20 or March 21. In most years, the first day of spring lands on March 20. However, in 2020 the spring equinox arrived on March 19. In 2021, it reverted back to March 20, and that will be the date again in 2022 and 2023. The next time the spring equinox will occur on March 19 will be 2024, according to timeanddate.com. And the next time it arrives on March 21 will be 79 years from now — in 2101. If you’re wondering why spring starts on different dates, you have to remember that “a year is not an even number of days and neither are the seasons,” notes Space.com. So, you can’t divide 365 days into four equal quarters and have and equal amount of days in every season. In addition, the “earth’s elliptical orbit is changing its orientation relative to the sun, which causes the Earth’s axis to constantly point in a different direction,” the website says. “Since the seasons are defined as beginning at strict 90-degree intervals, these positional changes affect the time Earth reaches each 90-degree location in its orbit around the sun.” The date of Easter Sunday is determined by the date of the spring equinox and the first spring moon cycle. That's why the holiday will be later than usual in 2022.Spring equinox tied to Easter and PassoverIn many cultures around the world, the start of spring is considered a time of rebirth and renewal. And some major religious holidays — including Easter and Passover — are timed to be celebrated after the spring equinox and after a specific spring moon cycle. This year, Christians will celebrate Easter Sunday on April 17, because that’s the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring — Saturday, April 16. The Jewish holiday of Passover is always celebrated in the early spring, but just like the Christian calendar, the Jewish calendar is tied to lunar cycles. So this year, Passover will start on the evening of Friday, April 15, and end on the evening of Saturday, April 23. The spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, will arrive this weekend, marking the official start of the 2022 spring season in the northern hemisphere.Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at . |