On March 18, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan, a bird perches on a branch of a cherry blossom tree, heralding the arrival of spring. For those who appreciate balance, the spring equinox is a time of harmony, offering roughly equal parts daytime and nighttime across the globe, regardless of location. Unlike the extremes of the winter and summer solstices, the equinox brings a sense of equilibrium.
In 2025, the spring equinox is set to occur precisely at 9:01 UTC on Thursday, March 20, as reported by EarthSky. To find out when this momentous event will take place in your area, click here.
While the Northern Hemisphere anticipates longer days and blooming nature, the Southern Hemisphere prepares for the arrival of fall. For regions like South Africa and Australia, the equinox signals the onset of cooler autumn weather. In equatorial areas such as Ecuador and Singapore, where daylight and darkness are balanced year-round, the equinox holds less significance.
The term “vernal equinox” is sometimes used interchangeably with “spring equinox.” Derived from Latin, equinox means “equality between day and night,” while vernal signifies “spring.”
The phenomenon of the spring equinox is rooted in Earth’s axial tilt of 23.5 degrees, causing varying sunlight exposure across hemispheres during the planet’s orbit around the sun. As the Northern Hemisphere progresses toward the summer solstice, daylight hours increase, leading to warmer weather. Although the equinox is often perceived as a time of equal day and night, slight variations in daylight occur depending on location.
As we celebrate the spring equinox, let’s embrace the changing seasons and the wonders of nature’s cycles.
The National Weather Service explains that the nearly equal hours of day and night are due to the intricate way a sunrise is calculated and the refraction of sunlight in our atmosphere. This bending of light rays causes the sun to appear above the horizon even when its actual position is below the horizon. The length of the day is slightly longer at higher latitudes compared to the equator as it takes the sun longer to rise and set nearer to the poles. The phenomenon of a truly equal day/night split occurs a few days before the official spring equinox, known as the equilux.
Various special sites and celebrations mark the spring equinox around the world. In Mexico, the Mayan archaeological site of Chichén Itzá hosts a celebration where people gather around the Kukulcan Pyramid. This pyramid is aligned in a way that on the equinoxes, a shadow resembling a snake of light (Kukulcán) descends the steps. In England, Stonehenge is a popular site for gatherings during solstices and equinoxes, organized by English Heritage. In Malta, the ancient megalithic temple in the Mnajdra complex is aligned so that the rays of the morning sun during the spring and fall equinoxes shine directly through the main entrance.
Cultures worldwide celebrate the equinox in various ways. In Japan, Vernal Equinox Day is a public holiday where traditions like visiting family graves and holding family reunions are followed. Nowruz, the Persian New Year, signifies “new day” and falls on the first day of spring. This celebration is a time for new beginnings, prosperity, and letting go of the past. In China, attempting to stand an egg upright is a popular game during the spring equinox, believed to bring good luck. Additionally, people enjoy local spring vegetables as part of the tradition.
