The day of the vernal equinox (Spring equinox) is one of the the most unique phenomena nature, the essence of which, in scientific language, boils down to the fact that “at the moment of equinox, the center of the Sun in its visible movement along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator.”
On this day, the Earth, rotating around its imaginary axis passing through the poles, while simultaneously moving around the Sun, is in such a position in relation to the luminary that Sun rays, carrying thermal energy, fall vertically towards the equator. The sun goes out southern hemisphere to the north, and these days in all countries the day is almost equal to the night.
There are spring and autumn equinoxes. Universal time (in other time zones these dates may differ by a day) in the northern hemisphere spring equinox occurs 20th of March when the Sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and autumn equinox occurs September 22 or 23(in 2019 - September 23), when the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern. In the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the March equinox is considered autumn, and the September equinox is considered spring.
The spring and autumn equinoxes are considered the astronomical beginning of the respective seasons. The period of time between two equinoxes of the same name is called the tropical year. This year is today and is accepted for measuring time. There are approximately 365.2422 sunny days in a tropical year. Because of this, “approximately” the equinox falls on different time days, each year moving forward by about 6 hours.
On the Day of the Vernal Equinox, many peoples and nationalities of the Earth begin New Year: Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan - almost all countries of the Great silk road They associate the beginning of the new year with this natural phenomenon.
The ancient scientists of China, India, and Egypt knew very well about the days of the vernal equinox. In ancient times, the day of the spring equinox was considered a great holiday.
In religion in ancient times, the day of the vernal equinox was also given considerable importance. The date of Easter, which is celebrated every year at different times, was counted from the day of the vernal equinox as follows: March 21 - the first full moon - the first Sunday, which was considered a holiday.
Many peoples have preserved the day of the vernal equinox as a holiday in the calendar. For example, in Farsi it is called , which means “new day.” Rooted in the traditions of the ancient farmers of the Middle East and Central Asia, the holiday has become an integral part of the culture of many peoples who profess Islam.
In the CIS, the equinox day is celebrated as a national holiday by Tatars, Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks and many other peoples. Navruz has been announced in a number of countries public holiday, and March 21 is a day off.
On this day, light and darkness are divided equally. In ancient times, when there were no calendars, spring was determined by the sun. It was believed that it was from this day that renewal in nature began: the first spring thunder, swelling of buds on trees, lush sprouting of greenery.
The day of the vernal equinox was especially revered in the pagan faith. It was believed that on this day in the annual cycle, Spring, personifying the revival and rebirth of nature, replaces Winter.
When the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere, the autumn equinox occurs.
When talking about equinox dates, we should distinguish between a date based on universal time and a date for a specific time zone:
if the equinox occurs before 12:00 universal time, in some countries located west of the prime meridian, this day may not yet have arrived and, according to local time, the arrival of the equinox will be considered 1 day earlier;
if the equinox occurs later than 12:00 universal time, then in some countries located east of the prime meridian, the next day may already have arrived and the date of the equinox will be 1 more.
According to the creators Gregorian calendar The “official” date of the vernal equinox is considered to be March 21 (literally “12 days before the Kalends of April”) because this was the date of the vernal equinox during the time of the Council of Nicaea.
Last time in this century the vernal equinox fell on March 21 in 2007 and will continue to fall on March 20 or even March 19 in the 21st century.
This year March 20 is the vernal equinox. At 13:29 Moscow time, the Sun crosses the celestial equator in its apparent movement along the ecliptic. The length of day and night is the same throughout the Earth and is equal to 12 hours. The celestial equator is a projection of the earth's equator onto the sphere of fixed stars infinitely distant from us.
The sun does not move along the celestial equator, otherwise day would be equal to night every day, says the presenter Researcher Institute of Astronomy RAS Alexander Bagrov. - No, the Sun moves along the ecliptic, slightly inclined. When the star rises above the ecliptic, we have a long day. When it goes lower, the nights are long. And only at the moment when the Sun passes through the celestial equator does day equal night. That's why the event is called the equinox, in contrast to the summer and winter solstices.
At two latest events, as the astronomer explains, the Sun is located as far as possible from the celestial equator. And then it turns out to be the longest day of the year - in the summer. Or the longest night is in winter.
Since ancient times, the spring equinox symbolizes the beginning of a new cycle in nature. And also - new beginnings in people's lives. From an astrological point of view, for example, the date of the vernal equinox is the day when the Sun enters 0 degrees Aries. This point is the beginning of the Zodiac. Once upon a time, the Sun actually rose against the background of the constellation Aries on the day of the spring equinox, but over time the equinox point has shifted, and now it is actually located in the constellation Pisces. Since the signs of the Zodiac are not associated with constellations, although they bear their names, the first sign of the Zodiac is still called Aries.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring, and has long been celebrated as a time of rebirth, says Boris Manevich, candidate of historical sciences, teacher at Moscow State University. - This is a day of balance between day and night, light and darkness. In many cultures and religions, various holidays were dedicated to the spring equinox. On this day it was customary to carry out all kinds of magical rituals. For example, after a number of preparations, plant seeds in a pot and make a wish. Then the seeds had to be cared for carefully and for a long time so that they would germinate and bear fruit. It was believed that with the appearance of fruits, wishes come true.
Magic is a creation of human consciousness. Simply put, it’s fiction,” astronomer Alexander Bagrov is skeptical. - We must understand that people have been engaged in agriculture or hunting. Both were closely related to the seasons. Either the birds began migrating, then it was time to plow the land - in general, time had to be counted somehow. Observations helped in this count. For example, on March 20, day is equal to night. Yep, there is a starting point! From now on, the day will be longer than the night, you need to get the plow, and after plowing, sow.
As the scientist explained, science even now, unfortunately, does not know everything. And in ancient times she knew even less. Therefore, people made all kinds of guesses, supported them with rituals, which filled the void of scientific knowledge.
Easily explainable events now - for example, the same spring equinox - were given a certain magical meaning, people believed their own inventions, Bagrov explained. - But we cannot repeat their mistakes.
The equinox, that is, the time when the length of day and night are equal, occurs twice a year - in spring and autumn. Changing times in modern world are determined by the calendar, and in ancient times these days were considered the change of seasons.
Scientists consider the vernal equinox to be the astronomical beginning of spring, which lasts three months, until summer solstice— in 2019 it falls on June 21.
Therefore, since ancient times, people have considered the day of the spring equinox a long-awaited and mystical event.
When day equals night
The spring equinox arrives when the Sun moves from the southern hemisphere of the celestial sphere to the northern. At this time, the Earth, moving in its orbit, will cover a quarter of the year's journey. The equal duration of light and dark time of day is explained by the fact that the two hemispheres will be illuminated exactly half by the luminary.
The seasons of the hemispheres change from the day of the spring equinox. From this time on, astronomical spring begins in the northern hemisphere of the Earth, and astronomical autumn begins in the southern hemisphere. And this continues until the summer solstice.
Six months later, when the Sun, having continued its movement, moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, the equinox will occur again, but the Sun at this time is on the opposite side of the orbit.
The date of the vernal equinox is historically considered to be March 21. On the first Ecumenical Council in 325 it was on this day that it was decided general rule by definition of the day of Easter celebration.
According to the rule, Christians celebrate the Bright Resurrection of Christ on the first Sunday after the spring full moon, but not earlier spring day equinox.
The spring equinox falls on different dates every year, since it does not have a fixed day or hour and shifts by almost six hours every year. Due to the fact that the astronomical year differs from the calendar year, the vernal equinox may fall from March 19 to March 21.
In leap years, the earliest dates of the equinoxes are observed, and the latest are observed in the years that precede the leap years. IN leap year the time is adjusted and the equinox returns to its previous date.
Traditions and customs
Since ancient times, many peoples of the world have considered the day of the vernal equinox a great holiday - magical and ritual. Spring festivals in ancient and medieval times were celebrated with joy and rituals invoking the fertility of the earth and the well-being of the people.
The Great Sphinx was built by the ancient Egyptians so that during the spring equinox it pointed directly at the rising sun.
Many peoples have kept this holiday in their calendar to this day. The holiday of Navruz, which in Farsi means “new day,” has its roots in the tradition of the ancient farmers of Central Asia and the Middle East.
For many peoples who profess Islam, the holiday has become an integral part of their culture - the day of the equinox is celebrated as a national holiday by the Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Tajiks, Tatars, Uzbeks, Bashkirs and many others.
On the day of the vernal equinox, the New Year is celebrated in many eastern countries, including Afghanistan and Iran.
Among the Germans and Celts, the vernal equinox was associated with the rebirth of spring and indicated the beginning of the agricultural season. Housewives, in order to please the goddess Ostara (one of the most “ancient” goddesses, who was worshiped at the end of the 2nd millennium BC) and to welcome spring in a special way, painted eggs and baked wheat buns.
The Slavic holiday Komoeditsa-Maslenitsa is also timed to coincide with the spring equinox - on this day people said goodbye to winter and welcomed spring, which embodies the rebirth of nature. In the old days, people believed that the more fun the holiday was, the more generous nature would be to them.
The day of the spring equinox in Rus' was called “Magpies” because at that time many birds flew in, namely 40, and the lark, which returned first, was considered a symbol of the holiday.
On this day, according to an ancient custom, cookies were baked in the shape of a bird and given from the entire village to the one who saw the lark first. Then the remaining sweets were distributed to the children so that they could invite the larks, who, according to legend, would bring spring with them.
In many countries this day is magical, as it is the only one of the year when spring meets spring. Usually at this time they tell fortunes and solemnly burn an effigy of winter, welcoming the long-awaited spring.
Signs
On the day of the spring equinox, according to signs, they monitor the weather, and if it is warm on this day, then there will be no cold or frost until summer.
The day of the spring equinox is best spent with your family or with a loved one - on this day you cannot quarrel, get upset, or sort things out with loved ones.
So that all next year spend without worries and not think about the bad, the day of spring balance should be celebrated with joy. People believe that a wish made on this day will definitely come true.
On the day of the spring equinox, they tell fortunes about love - they tell fortunes using Tarot cards, classical cards, runes, and oracles. And in order to get an accurate answer, at the moment of fortune telling you should concentrate and ask a specific question.
Since the holiday was preceded by Maslenitsa (in 2017 from February 20 to 26 inclusive), many girls use similar fortune telling. So, for example, on this day they also baked pancakes, and if the first pancake was not lumpy, then they believed that they would get married this year.
On the spring equinox, girls guessed the gender of their first child; to do this, they kept track of who festive table take the first pancake. If it was a man, they were expecting a boy, and if it was a woman, they were expecting a girl.
People considered dreams on the spring equinox to be prophetic, so girls used to tell fortunes about their husbands before going to bed. To do this, two aces - a spades and a diamonds - were placed under the pillow, as well as a ten of clubs, a ring, a key and a piece of pie, having previously wrapped all the items in a white scarf.
The future was judged the next morning, depending on what was dreamed about: a ring for an imminent wedding, a key or bread for success in work, a pie for luck and joy, a card of spades for trouble, a diamond card for wealth, club - for moving.
The spring equinox is a magical period, a time for the manifestation of feelings, and if you have long wanted to confess your feelings to your loved one, you need to do it on this day.
The material was prepared based on open sources
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When is the autumn equinox in 2018 / 1zoom.ru
Those days when day is equal to night are called the equinox - spring or autumn. We will meet the autumn equinox this week.
Autumn equinox 2018: when - what date and what time
In 2018, the autumn equinox fell on September 23. It will start at 4:54 Kyiv time.
The autumnal equinox falls on the same date in 2019 (at 9:50 Kyiv time). But in 2020 – on September 22 (15:31 Kyiv time).
Autumn equinox: signs
This day is considered the beginning of a real, “golden” autumn. By folk signs, what the weather will be like on this day, you should expect such weather for the rest of the fall.
Day of the autumnal equinox among the Slavs
For our ancestors, this was a time for summing up results and celebrating the harvest. Thanks were offered to the gods for a successful year and a rich harvest, and they were also asked for intercession for the coming winter.
During this period they stocked up forest mushrooms And medicinal herbs for the winter.
Autumn equinox: rituals
Some rituals of the ancient Slavs can easily be repeated in our time. For example, a ritual for family prosperity: apples from the new harvest (preferably from your own garden, but purchased ones are also suitable) - there should be as many of them as there are members in the family - each family member should hold in his hand. Then the fruits, imbued with the energy of each family member, are placed on a dish and placed on the table. In the evening, a candle is lit and the names of all family members are repeated. Then you need to focus on the apples, imagining the worries that are troubling the person, and say the spell: “Pourable apples, warmed by the Sun, grown by the power of the Earth, picked in the fall, ending the year. Each apple takes away adversity, attracts prosperity to the family. Good luck will accompany us (names), and adversity will bypass us.”. After which the apples are eaten by each family member, and the cores are thrown away as far as possible from the house.