The Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox is one of the 24 solar terms and the fourth solar term of spring, usually occurring between March 19th and 22nd in the Gregorian calendar. The “equinox” in Spring Equinox has two meanings:

Seasonal division: Traditionally, the period from Start of Spring to Start of Summer is considered spring, and the Spring Equinox falls exactly in the middle of this period, dividing spring into two equal halves.

Day and night division: On the Spring Equinox, the sun shines directly on the equator, resulting in equal day and night lengths of 12 hours worldwide.

On the Spring Equinox, the sun is at the celestial longitude of 0° (the vernal equinox point). After this, the direct point of the sun continues to move northward, leading to longer days and shorter nights in the Northern Hemisphere, while the opposite occurs in the Southern Hemisphere. On this day, there are no polar days or nights globally, and the Arctic begins to experience polar days while the Antarctic begins to experience polar nights.

After the Spring Equinox, the climate becomes mild and there is abundant rainfall. Most regions enter a bright spring, and overwintering crops enter the spring growth stage. In the south, rainfall increases, gradually entering the “pre-flood season”, while in the north, the temperature is unstable, with a large temperature difference between day and night, and sandstorms may occur.

There are many traditional customs associated with the Spring Equinox, such as:

Egg-standing: The Spring Equinox is the best time for the egg-standing game, and there is a saying among the people that “When the Spring Equinox comes, the eggs stand up.”

Eating spring vegetables: In the Lingnan region, there is a custom of eating spring vegetables on the Spring Equinox. The collected spring vegetables are cooked with fish and meat, known as “spring soup”.

Offering sacrifices: In ancient times, emperors offered sacrifices to the sun on the Spring Equinox. The Altar of the Sun was the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties offered sacrifices to the Sun God.

After the Spring Equinox, agricultural work enters a busy stage. Farmers need to strengthen field management, irrigate and sow in a timely manner to ensure the growth of crops.