When does spring begin on the Sun? How in ancient times did they determine and mark this date?

The work of our ancestors was mainly connected with the processing of land. In agriculture, many types of work were done once in a certain period. Missing the right time for processing or sowing, it was possible to remain without harvest.

The farmer planned and carried out agricultural work in accordance with the seasons. For him it was very important to correctly determine the time of the onset of a particular season, especially the time of preparation and carrying out of sowing.

Previously, people did not have a deep knowledge of astronomy and mathematics, so they determined when the spring begins, according to the Sun. Long-term observations of the motion of the planets, experience Ancestors, the analysis of natural phenomena produced good results. The accuracy of determining the seasons was constantly growing.

The vernal equinox

Astronomers come to spring on the day of the vernal equinox. During this period, the Sun leaves the Southern hemisphere of the Earth and goes to the North. The sun's rays fall vertically onto the equator. Day by duration is equal to night. The sunrise is observed exactly in the east, and the sunset is strictly in the west. So comes the astronomical spring into the Northern Hemisphere, and in the Southern Hemisphere, the astronomical autumn comes.

A meticulous observation of the sky in ancient times has borne fruit. Astronomers have learned with high accuracy to determine the number of the spring equinox for any length of time, both in the past and in the future. The time interval from one spring (autumn) equinox to the coming of the next one is called a tropical year. It is about 365.2422 solar days. Because of the fractional part in the number of sunny days, the equinox comes every time at different times, moving year by year for 6 hours ahead.

An extra day in a leap year allows you to compensate for the inaccuracies of the Julian calendar. The Gregorian is formed in such a way that the dates of the equinoxes do not change over the years.

Time for romantics and lovers

Spring is one of the best times of the year for romantic people. Her arrival pleases with an abundance of light, a clear sky and a long-awaited warming. Nature awakens from hibernation, animals wake up in their burrows and dens, all life processes are fuller and more intense.

Spring begins right after winter and ends with the arrival of summer. But to determine from which date spring begins, it is not at all easy. The fact is that in different fields of knowledge they use their definition of spring. There are the following types of this concept:

- calendar;

- astronomical;

- climatic;

- phenological.

Calendar Spring

Spring is a transition period. At this time, the light time of day increases, the air temperature rises, living beings and plants become active.

The calendar spring consists of 3 months. March, April, May - spring months of the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Spring begins in September and ends in November.

At the household level, the arrival of spring is determined by the calendar. In real life, the spring does not subordinate to him, and in the southern regions it comes earlier, and in the north it lags.

Astronomical Spring

This term was introduced by astronomers. It comes into its own on the day when spring begins on the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, it comes on March 20 (21), on the opposite side of the Earth this unique phenomenon is observed on September 22 (23). The astronomical spring ends on the day of the summer solstice.

Climate spring

The onset of climatic spring depends on the average daily temperature. If the average daily temperature stably exceeds 0 degrees, spring comes, otherwise it is delayed.

In the central strip of Russia spring comes in late March. In areas with a cold climate there is no climatic summer, so spring merges with autumn. In the southern regions, on the contrary, there is no climatic winter, and spring also merges with autumn.

Phenological spring

The beginning of the phenological spring is the period of snow melting (formation of thawed patches in the field). Spring ends with the onset of summer, which is determined by the flowering of the dog rose.

In the plant world botanists determine the onset of spring at the beginning of the juice movement in the maple leaf.

Modern Holidays and the Spring Equinox

When spring begins on the Sun, there comes a holiday with astrologers. They celebrate it on March 20. The holiday is informal, but it is annually held around the world by people not indifferent to astrology.

The vernal equinox is one of the favorite holidays in Japan. And although this holiday is not religious, it is closely connected with the traditions of the ancient religion of Japan. During this period cherry blossoms, the Japanese visit the graves of the deceased.

In ancient Persia, the holiday was called Navruz. Much later he was recognized as Islam. This is a national holiday in Iran. The celebration of Nowruz is widespread in Central Asia, the Caucasus, North-West China and even the Balkans.

In the Baha'i religion, too, there is the Navruz holiday. It always begins with the sunrise on the twentieth of March.

The vernal equinox is worshiped in Islam. The nisarites have a sacred day.

In Egypt, the holiday is called Sham-el-Nessim. In antiquity it coincided with the beginning of the astronomical spring. Later, the festive date was postponed to Easter Monday. In Egypt, this is a national holiday that unites the entire population of the country.

The main holiday in Christianity is Easter. It is celebrated annually at different times. However, the date of this holiday is calculated by priests from the day when spring begins on the Sun.