When and how to celebrate the Vernal Equinox Day in 2021

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Festivals and celebrations around the world are associated with this astronomical phenomenon.

What is the Vernal Equinox Day

The vernal equinox is an astronomical phenomenon. Zharov V. E. EQUALITY // Great Russian Encyclopedia. Electronic version; Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Vernal equinox" // Encyclopedia Britannica, in which the solar disk crosses the celestial equator and passes from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern, where the equinox is considered the beginning of the astronomical spring. It continues until the summer solstice.

At the time of the vernal equinox, the Sun spends approximately the same amount of time above and below the horizon in every place on Earth, that is, the day is almost equal to the night. The date of the vernal equinox varies slightly depending on the year and falls on March 19–21. In 2021, this moment will come on March 20.

Why is the Vernal Equinox Day celebrated?

Important religious and seasonal holidays for different nations, for example Easter EASTER // Great Russian Encyclopedia. The electronic version, or Novruz, is associated with the date of the vernal equinox. This coincidence is not accidental at all. The fact is that the ancient agrarian cults of the Indo-European peoples, including the ancient Slavs, are united by J. Gordon Melton Religious Celebrations An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations by a similar annual cycle of holidays. It was based on the solar phases, which determined a specific stage of field work. And their borders were the days of the solstice and the equinox.

After the March equinox, a new agricultural year began. Spring came, when the cold receded and nature awakened - it was time to plow and sow the fields. At this magical time, on the border of two seasons, Agapkina T. A. Spring-summer cycle to appease the gods and ask them for a rich harvest with the help of special ceremonies and sacrifices.

With the spread of monotheistic religions, pagan customs became a thing of the past, but many of them were transformed, acquired a new meaning, and the tradition of greeting spring in a special way remained in many countries.

How the Slavs met the vernal equinox day

One of the main holidays of the spring cycle among the ancient Slavs was Maslenitsa, the traditions of which are still alive today. Professor Rybakov approves B. A. Rybakov. The paganism of the ancient Slavs, that before it fell just at the time of the spring equinox, but after the baptism of Russia it was shifted to earlier dates, as it coincided with the beginning of Great Lent. On the pagan Shrovetide, it was customary to burn fires, to lower a burning wheel symbolizing the sun from the mountain, and to eat ceremonial pastries, and mummers in animal skins walked around the villages.

In Belarus, the beginning of spring was celebrated by P. V. Shein. Materials for studying the way of life and language of the Russian population of the North-West Territory Komoeditsa - the day of awakening of a bear from hibernation. For this holiday, they prepared oatmeal jelly and pea comas (hence the name), organized festivities and ritual dances, depicting a waking beast.

After the spread of Christianity, pagan rituals gave way to L. N. Lazarev History and theory of holidays the place of the Annunciation - one of the main Orthodox holidays, which also falls at the end of March. On this day, according to tradition, spring was invoked, larks were made from dough (a symbol of the coming season) and danced in round dances. It was forbidden to disturb the land and work in the fields before the holiday.

What traditions are associated with the Day of the Vernal Equinox

In Europe

The Phrygians who lived in ancient Rome, on the day of the vernal equinox, began the Hilaria Leonhard Schmitz festival of the mother of all gods - Cybele. At this time, O. V. Bogatova The Cult of the Great Mother of the Gods Cybele in Greco-Roman Antiquity: On the Problem of Religious Syncretism in Antiquity Orgies, bloody sacrifices, masquerades and games.

Another tradition is associated with the West German goddess of spring and dawn Ostera. According to one of the theories, the name Easter came from her name, and the attributes of the Christian holiday, an egg and a rabbit, allegedly once belonged to the cult of the goddess. Some neo-pagan movements now host Carole Cusack The Goddess Eostre: Bede’s Text and Contemporary Pagan Tradition (s) in honor of the Ostera Sabbath on Vernal Equinox.

In the east

Iran and Afghanistan celebrate the New Year Celebrating Nowruz A Resource for Educators Center for Middle Eastern Studies Harvard University on the Vernal Equinox Day. The Novruz holiday, which means "new day" in Russian, has Zoroastrian roots and is considered official in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and other countries.

A few weeks before Novruz, it is customary to clean the house, get rid of old things and buy new ones. On the evening of the holiday, like the Western New Year, people gather with family and friends at the table. In Iran, it is served according to the special tradition of Haft Sin, according to which seven products with symbolic meaning must be present on the table: sumac, garlic, apples, sprouted grain, sprouted wheat porridge, vinegar and Chinese date berries.

Officially, the vernal equinox is celebrated by the Japanese Embassy in Russia. The vernal equinox is also celebrated in Japan. The three days before and after it are called Higan, and the equinox itself is called Shumbun no hi. On the holiday, the Japanese visit temples, clean up the graves of relatives, perform memorial ceremonies and prepare special treats from rice flour. It is forbidden to eat meat during Higan.

At the end of March, J. Gordon Melton Religious Celebrations An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations and the famous multi-day Indian Holi festival, which celebrates the arrival of spring and the victory of light forces over the dark, often fall. On Holi, Hindus make big fires, dance, sing, meet friends and exchange sweets. But, probably, the most famous tradition of the holiday is to arrange street fights, the participants of which throw dry paints at each other.

How can you spend the vernal equinox

If you have a desire to symbolically celebrate spring, try celebrating Equinox in one of these ways.

Plant the plants

Remember the ancient agricultural traditions of your ancestors - get ready for the summer season and plant seedlings on this day. Or break up the beds right at home. With the right approach, greens, tomatoes, hot peppers and even avocados can be grown on the windowsill.

If you don't like the idea of setting up a farm in an apartment, pay attention to decorative indoor plants. Spring is a great time to transplant them into new pots and fertilize.

Clean up and decorate your home

It's nice to meet the new season in a cozy atmosphere. Get rid of the trash, hang new curtains, buy a bouquet of flowers or put thin branches with buds in a vase - in a few days they will bloom and delight the eye with young green leaves.

Take care of your body

Updating may not only be necessary for your home, but also for your body. To do this, you can go to the bathhouse, sign up for a scrub or massage.

The facial skin will also be glad to receive additional care. Exfoliate to remove dead cells and impurities. Then apply a moisturizing mask to help your skin cope with the effects of the cold winter wind and dry air in the apartment.

Go for a walk

Head to a nearby park, get some fresh air, and watch nature wake up. You can combine business with pleasure and do some plogging. Or just relax.