Spring Equinox: Description: Religious Holidays and Observances: Cultural Involvement: Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Indiana University (2024)

FAQs

What is the cultural significance of the Spring Equinox? ›

In cultures around the world, the spring equinox has represented a time of renewal, fertility, and rebirth. In agricultural societies, the spring equinox marked the start of the planting season, when crops are sown and farmers begin preparing for the coming season of growth.

Ostara celebrates the spring equinox. Ostara comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre and represents spring and new beginnings. The celebration of spring is present in many ancient customs across all cultures.

The Spring Equinox is a joyful holiday centered around rebirth & growth. It is the arrival of spring! The Earth is coming alive again. The Spring Equinox is a festival of awakening, and rebirth.

For those of both Jewish and Christian faiths, this is a time of significant meaning and faith with the celebrations of Passover and Easter. For other cultures, the vernal equinox represents a new beginning, growth, and shedding of negativity of the previous year.

During the equinox, the Earth's axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight. This year, the alignment happens March 19 at 11:06 pm Eastern Daylight Time. The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning equal and night.

Some examples of intentions include: "Today I will be patient," "Today I intend to forgive others and myself," "Today I intend to organize my work," "Today I will speak kindly to myself," and "Today I intend to be productive."

Simple Spring Equinox Rituals:

Plant seeds or garden: gardening isn't only a seasonal tradition, it's also a ritual to honor this astrological event! Sing songs to your plants while you give them to the earth. Plant food and flowers to brighten up the land!

Ostara celebrates the spring equinox. The word Ostara comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess name, Eostre. Eostre represented spring and new beginnings. The celebration of spring is present in many ancient customs, across all cultures, and it seems that Wicca has borrowed from many of them for Ostara.

Tuesday, March 19 (Northern Hemisphere). Also known as the Spring Equinox, a time when the sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length, themes of balance, renewal and rebirth.

Ostara is a Pagan solar holiday honoring the spring's warmth, light from the sun, and the awakening of the earth. Pagan celebrations during this holiday have themes of balance, renewal and rebirth. The symbols of Ostara are spring flowers, fairies, butterflies, rabbits and eggs.

What are the teachings of the spring equinox? ›

The teachings of our Elders tell us that Spring Equinox is the understanding of balance. A teaching of the natural world of which we live and help to create and take care of in a Spiritual way. This teaching helps us to find balance in our personal lives.

During the equinox, day and night will be around the same length which is evident in the word's origin derived from the Latin equi (meaning 'equal') and nox (meaning 'night'). The spring equinox marks the beginning of spring and from this day forward the day is longer than the night.

To celebrate Spring Equinox some Pagans carry out particular rituals. For instance a woman and a man are chosen to act out the roles of Spring God and Goddess, playing out courtship and symbolically planting seeds. Egg races, egg hunts, egg eating and egg painting are also traditional activities at this time of year.

At the equinox, the Earth will have reached the point in its orbit where its axis is at right angles to a line from the sun. Thus, the sun will then be directly over a specific point on the Earth's equator moving northward. In the sky, it's where the ecliptic and celestial equator cross each other.

20th March 2024

This pivotal moment, when day and night find perfect balance, heralded the rebirth of life and the awakening of the Earth from its Winter slumber and so represented a time of renewal, fertility and growth.

The Equinox (Vernal & Autumnal)

There are only two times of the year when the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes. These events are referred to as Equinoxes.

The equinox was also seen as a time of balance. Of equal day and equal night. The mid point between deep winter and high summer. It was also regarded as a time of life and birth in the spring, and death and darkness in the fall.

Also, for many Indigenous peoples, spring equinox is a time to shift from oral-based knowledge sharing and storytelling to applied land and/or activity-based knowledge sharing. It is a time to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather and the return of animals and plants.

20th March 2024

This pivotal moment, when day and night find perfect balance, heralded the rebirth of life and the awakening of the Earth from its Winter slumber and so represented a time of renewal, fertility and growth.