We were watching the weather on the news on March 1 and the weather guesser said that it was the first day of spring! So I asked, "Does Spring Begin on March 1 or on the Equinox?"
Our Mom knows EVERYTHING! If she does not know, she looks it up (sometimes she makes it up) and Mom said - it is both and that the answer depends on your definition of “spring.”
Confusing - RIGHT? It turns out BOTH dates are accurate; they’re just from different perspectives.
Astronomically speaking, the first day of spring is marked by the Spring Equinox, which falls on March 19, 20, or 21. The equinox happens at the exact moment worldwide, although our clock times reflect a different time zone. This date only signals spring’s beginning in the Northern Hemisphere - it announces fall’s arrival in the Southern Hemisphere.
Meteorologically speaking, the official first day of spring is March 1 (and the last is May 31). Weather scientists divide the year into quarters to make it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics from one year to the next. The meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles rather than on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun. Meteorological seasons more closely follow the Gregorian calendar since using the dates of the astronomical equinoxes and solstices for the seasons would present a statistical problem as these dates can vary slightly each year.
Mom has a Ritual of things she likes to do to welcome the new season
Go for a nature walk
Bake something
Create a Spring wreath
Get flowers for the house
Seed Planting (usually nasturtiums)
Garden Cleaning
This year, Mom is still using crutches, so our human bro has done the Garden Cleaning and Nasturtium Seed planting (they are from last year's plants).
For ME (and Jo Jo and Kozmo) our ritual is to eat the new fresh grass!
Do you have a Spring Ritual?
we are so glad spring is there... although we will get rain...
ReplyDeleteI have daily, weekly, monthly and yearly routines but none for the seasons, because Florida really doesn't have seasons that are noticeable.. your mom is smart and so is Beaus mom because we know hot work that search button on our cell phones. I do a few texts a day and other than that, I pick the phone up many times a day to ask questions... it freaked me out yesterday, I was sitting with iPad in lap ready to PLAY painting and I said to Bob I will ask what ever the question he had, and when I repeated to him what he said 'siri answered and I had not touched iPad or said her name..
ReplyDeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteFor me it will always be the 21st, following the more ancient settings. I like fling open the doors and windows and let the inside breaaaatthhhheee...... Hugs and whiskeries, YAM-aunty xxx
If I am just dividing the year into four then I use first of March as first day of Spring. I traditionally recognise 21st or in this case the 20th as the first day. We have a glorious day for it too, a cloud free sky and temperature is 62F.
ReplyDeleteOn today, our first day of Spring, I put on my coat and hat and gloves and feed the birds in the rain, lol. And tonight is snow. We are glad brother is home to help the gardening and get things ready for plants to grow and delight your mom. I planted tulips in my patio pots, covered them with chicken wire and they survived the cold and the squirrels. This is the first time I've tried this. Now the catio fence must go up with the pots inside it so the deer do not eat the plants. Our first day of summer will be June 20 and it may already be hot and steamy by then, it was last year. Jo Jo, be careful about the sneezies. Precious says us moms have eyes in the back of our head too, so when you think you are clear of mom's stares, beware.
ReplyDeleteWe enjoy spring whenever it decides to show up at our house. Our mom declared winter was over because the guys that plow our driveway came and took away the markers that line our driveway out. BOL!
ReplyDeleteMom planted seeds and some plants last week. We're going to be 84 degrees today. No real Spring for us.
ReplyDeleteHappy Spring! Yes, our ritual is gathering pussy willows and delivering them to friends and family. XO
ReplyDeletePeople in general used to not worry about equinoxes and just go by months, the way the meteorologists do.
ReplyDeleteHappy Spring and enjoy the grass!
Chaplin: "Fresh grass, yum! Happy Spring, everyone!"
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