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Spring Equinox

9 Simple (and Free) Ways to Celebrate the First Day of Spring

By Abby Quillen

The spring equinox is March 20 in the northern hemisphere. The sun shines directly on the equator, and day and night are nearly equal. For centuries, people have marked the occasion with celebrations.

How Did Ancient People Celebrate?

  • Fires

In Iran, people purified their homes and leapt over fires.

  • Gathering at Monuments

The Mayans gathered around El Castillo, a ceremonial pyramid. On the day of the equinox, the sun runs  down the northern staircase, giving the illusion of a snake descending. Because of this, their celebration has been called “The Return of the Sun Serpent” since ancient times.

  • Honoring Ancestors

The Japanese spent the day cleaning and bringing flowers to their ancestors’ graves.

  • Celebrating Mothers

In parts of the Middle East and Africa, people celebrate Mother’s Day on the spring equinox.

Benefits of Modern Seasonal Celebrations

The first day of each season is a great opportunity to pause and connect with nature. Seasonal celebrations are affordable, nature-based, and as easy or elaborate as you want them to be.

It’s nice to take a time-out from the clock’s relentless march forward occasionally to appreciate what’s happening in the natural world: What the sky looks like, what local wildlife are up to, which birds are hanging out at the neighborhood pond, and whether the leaves are budding, falling, or mulching the gardens.

Seasonal celebrations are also a good time to reflect on the lessons the season imparts. Fall teaches us about the inevitability of loss. Winter shows us the importance of dormancy, darkness, and stillness. Spring shows the possibility of rebirth. And the bounties of summer are endless – light, warmth, and lush crops.

Create some spring traditions this year!

What better time than spring to start some new family traditions? Pick activities that you’ll want to do year after year and ones that will make the day relaxing and special for you and your family, but not overwhelming. Here are 9 ways to celebrate:

  1. Decorate

Collect spring flowers, cherry buds, egg shells, a bird’s nest, or whatever symbolizes springtime in your family and display them on a mantle or tabletop. Place bouquets of crocuses, daffodils, tulips, or dandelions around the house. Or surprise your family members by placing bouquets in their bedrooms while they sleep, so they wake up to fresh flowers on the first day of spring.

  1. Observe

The days are getting longer. Go outside on the first day of spring to watch the sun rise and set. Find out what time the sun will rise and set where you live here.

  1. Explore

Go on a walk or hike and identify wildflowers if some are already sprouting in your area. Or visit a local farm and see if you can get a glimpse of calves, lambs, or chicks in the barnyard. What better symbol of spring?

  1. Feast

Make a spring meal with the first crops of the season. Dandelion leaves, steamed nettles, asparagus, new potatoes, dill, mint, and chives may be springing up where you live. Make your dinner more special than usual by adding something new. Eat by candlelight. Eat outside if weather permits. Or have a picnic on a blanket in the living room.

  1. Make

Twist dandelions or clovers into chains, and wear them as spring crowns.

  1. Plan

Gardening season is here! Spend some time planning your springtime garden.

  1. Sow seeds

Have each family member pick a favorite flower or plant to sow in honor of the first day of spring. Designate a special garden, and make a ceremony of it.

  1. Read

These spring picture books are great for little ones:

  • The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
  • Grandma Lena’s Big Ol Turnip by Denia Hester
  • Marty McGuire Digs Worms by Kate Messner
  • Wanda’s Roses by Pat Brisson
  • And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano

The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson is fun to read aloud as a family on the first day of spring.

And cold days aren’t over yet, so adults may also want to stock up on the season’s most anticipated reads.

  1. Craft

Decorate hard-boiled eggs with natural dyes. Try beets, cranberries, blackberries, or raspberries for red; yellow-onion skins or turmeric for yellow; parsley, spinach, or red-onion skins for green; blueberries for blue; and coffee, pecan hulls, or black-walnut hulls for brown. Or experiment by trying whatever’s coming up in your backyard.

To make a natural dye, combine:

  • 4 cups of chopped or mashed fruits or vegetables or 4 tablespoons of spice
  • 4 cups of water
  • 2 tablespoons of white vinegar.

Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 30 minutes.

If these ideas don’t resonate, create your own traditions to welcome spring this March 20! I hope you’ll celebrate for years to come.

If you liked this post, you may enjoy these related posts:

  • Why You Should Sync Your Schedule With the Seasons
  • Local, Seasonal Foods are Superfoods
  • Dandelions are Superfoods
  • Just One Small Change
  • Living Local

[Photo credit: Jeff Kubina, Marco Verch]

March 9, 2023Filed Under: Family life, Nature Tagged With: Celebrating Spring, Celebrating the Seasons, First Day of Spring, Nature celebrations, Seasonal Activities for Kids, Seasonal celebrations, Simple Living, Spring Equinox, Spring recipe, Vernal Equinox

Celebrate the First Day of Spring

By Abby Quillen

Celebrate spring

Finally . . . the first day of spring is almost here! Here are some simple ways to celebrate.

Explore

Go on a hike and identify wildflowers if some are sprouting in your area. Or visit a local farm and see if you can get a glimpse of calves, lambs, or chicks in the barnyard.

Play

Fly a kite. Or make dandelion or clover chains and wear them as spring crowns.

Gather

Hunt for spring flowers, cherry buds, egg shells, a bird’s nest, and other signs of spring. Decorate the house with crocuses, daffodils, tulips, or dandelions.

Observe

Watch the sun rise and set. (You can find out what time it will rise here.)

Plant

Sow seeds. Have each family member pick a favorite flower to plant. Designate a special garden, and make a ceremony of it.

Read

Check out this list of novels “where the characters blossom and where there is hope in the midst of struggles, like flowers on bare branches.”

And don’t forget about the kids. Check out some of my family’s favorite spring picture books:

  • Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schur
  • Spring by Ron Hirschi
  • Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

We also enjoy reading aloud from The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson.

Eat

Make a spring feast with the first crops of the season. Dandelion leaves, steamed nettles, and asparagus are delicious spring greens. Other traditional spring foods include eggs, ham, and sweets. Eat outside if weather permits, or have a picnic on a blanket in the living room.

Make

Attract birds to your yard by making these easy Audubon-approved bird feeders out of peanut butter and bird seed.

Or create your own traditions to welcome spring this Thursday.

Resources for seasonal celebrations:

The Artful Spring by Jean Van’t Hul
Ceremonies of the Seasons by Jennifer Cole
The Spring Equinox: Celebrate the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson
Together: Creating Family Traditions by Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes
The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule

Do you have plans or ideas for how to celebrate spring this year? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

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March 17, 2014Filed Under: Family life, Parenting, Simple Living Tagged With: Celebrations, Family life, First Day of Spring, Seasonal celebrations, Seasons, Spring Equinox

Welcome Spring

By Abby Quillen

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
― Margaret Atwood, Bluebeard’s Egg

The spring equinox is this Wednesday. What a perfect time to celebrate longer days, warmer weather, and blossoming trees and flowers. Here are some ideas for simple ways to observe the day:

Observe and Explore

Watch the sun rise and set. Visit a farm to catch a glimpse of the adorable lambs, calves, and chicks. Go for a hike and identify wildflowers. Learn about the plants and trees on your block or in your yard.

Celebrate

Arrange a bouquet of crocuses, daffodils, tulips, or dandelions for your kids or partner to wake up to. Go on a picnic. Eat dinner by candlelight.

Play

Fly a kite. Blow bubbles. Draw birds. Collect bugs. Run around barefoot.

Plant

If it’s time to sow seeds where you live, designate a place for each member of the family to plant a favorite vegetable or flower in honor of spring. Or, plant a hanging flower basket or window planter.

Make

Make a spring crown out of dandelion or clover chains. Get creative with some spring arts and crafts. Decorate hard-boiled eggs with natural dyes. (Try beets, cranberries, blackberries, or raspberries for red; yellow-onion skins or turmeric for yellow; parsley, spinach, or red-onion skins for green; blueberries for blue; and coffee, pecan hulls, or black-walnut hulls for brown. Or experiment with whatever is coming up in your backyard.)

Read

Read aloud from The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson. Check out these ten spring reads for kids aged 0 to 9. Browse Publisher’s Weekly’s list of The Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2013.

Eat

Prepare a spring feast with the first crops of the season. Dandelion leaves, steamed nettles, and asparagus are delicious spring greens. Other traditional spring foods include eggs, ham, and sweets.

Reflect

Spring is a time for rebirth and new beginnings. What’s ready to grow in your life?

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March 18, 2013Filed Under: Family life, Nature Tagged With: Celebrations, Family life, First Day of Spring, Seasonal celebrations, Seasons, Spring Equinox

Last Day of Winter

By Abby Quillen

Tomorrow is the spring equinox. You can find ways to celebrate here.

I’ll be traveling next week, so I won’t be blogging. But I have a little giveaway planned while I’m away, so check back on Monday for the details!

Happy first day of spring!

March 19, 2010Filed Under: Family life, Nature Tagged With: Celebrations, First Day of Spring, Seasonal celebrations, Seasons, Spring Equinox

Celebrate the First Day of Spring

By Abby Quillen

Celebrate the First Day of Spring #spring #familycelebrations #seasons

The first day of spring is nearly here. What better time to start some new traditions? Here are some ideas:

  • Place a bouquet of crocuses, daffodils, tulips, or dandelions in your kids’ bedrooms while they sleep, so they wake up to fresh spring flowers.
  • Go on a hike and identify wildflowers if some are sprouting in your area.
  • Visit a local farm and see if you can get a glimpse of calves, lambs, or chicks in the barnyard.
  • Make dandelion or clover chains if those flowers are coming up where you live. Wear them as spring crowns.
  • Watch the sun rise. (You can find out what time it will rise here.)
  • Sow seeds. Have each family member pick a favorite flower to plant. Designate a special garden, and make a ceremony of it.
  • Establish a table-top, shelf, or mantel to display spring flowers, cherry buds, egg shells, a bird’s nest, or whatever symbolizes springtime in your family.
  • Read books about the season! Some of my family’s favorite spring picture-books are: Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schur, Spring by Ron Hirschi, and Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown.
  • Read aloud from The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson.
  • Make a spring feast with the first crops of the season. Dandelion leaves, steamed nettles, and asparagus are delicious spring greens. Other traditional spring foods include eggs, ham, and sweets.
  • Eat dinner by candlelight.
  • Eat outside if weather permits, or have a picnic on a blanket in the living room.
  • Decorate hard-boiled eggs with natural dyes. Try beets, cranberries, blackberries, or raspberries for red; yellow-onion skins or turmeric for yellow; parsley, spinach, or red-onion skins for green; blueberries for blue; and coffee, pecan hulls, or black-walnut hulls for brown. Or experiment – try whatever’s coming up in your backyard. You can read more about making natural egg dyes in the book Together: Creating Family Traditions.

Or create your own traditions to welcome spring.

Resources for seasonal celebrations:

The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays by Anthony F. Aveni
Ceremonies of the Seasons by Jennifer Cole
The Spring Equinox: Celebrate the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson
Together: Creating Family Traditions by Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes
The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule

If you liked this post, you may enjoy these related posts:

  • Why Spring is the Best Time to Start a New Project
  • Finding Wildness
  • Living Local

*Are you planning a celebration for the first day of spring?*

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March 8, 2010Filed Under: Family life Tagged With: First Day of Spring, Seasonal celebrations, Seasons, Spring Equinox, Vernal Equinox

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