Spring into Spring: 11 Ways To Celebrate The Beginning of a Brand New Season

 

It’s finally here! After a long and cold winter, (and several groundhogs proclaiming various, convincing assertions across North American towns), the first unequivocal mark of spring has finally arrived. It is the long awaited spring equinox. 

The spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, marks the moment when the sun is exactly above the equator, resulting in an equal length of night and day. It occurs when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither away nor towards the sun, thus both the Earth’s hemispheres receive equal amounts of sunlight – and daylight and darkness in both northern and southern hemisphere is equal proportion. Fun fact: “Equinox” originates from the Latin words “aeques” (equal) and “nox” (night), and “Vernal” comes from the word “vernalis” meaning “of the spring”.

Timing of the spring equinox

In the northern hemisphere, the spring equinox falls around March 20 or 21, when the Sun crosses North on the celestial equator. In the southern hemisphere, it occurs on September 22 or 23, when the Sun moves south across the celestial equator. 

This year, in the northern hemisphere, it falls on March 20^th, 2023. In the southern hemisphere, it occurs on September 23, 2023.

Significance of the spring equinox: balance, rebirth, growth 

Not only are night and day equal on this day, but by astronomical definitions, the vernal equinox marks the official beginning of spring. For many, this a time of renewal, balance, transition, and the start of a new beginning. In ancient cultures, as well as in modern times, for those who rely on and follow the rhythms of nature closely, such farmers and those in the astrological community, the astronomical start of the new year is considered in some ways even more important than the Gregorian calendar new year on January 1^st. When we consider the cycles of nature and the winter that just passed, it makes a lot of sense.

11 ways to celebrate the arrival of spring

With the long frost behind us, we are coming out of a deep slumber and entering a time of transition. Now is the time to leave behind the cold, the heavy, the dark and decay, and embrace new growth, harmony and light. With that mind, let us leap into spring and enjoy a few rituals that that prepare us for the upcoming season. As with everything we do, sometimes, the same actions can be either a mundane task or a sacred practise for a ritual – the difference is only in the intentionality we set and how we perform the tasks.

1.    Spring cleaning 

Whether we routinely clean our living and work spaces by force of habit or force of hand (i.e., minutes before guests arrive), by introducing a different state of mind into our practise, we can transform an ordinary cleaning chore into a mindful spring practise by shifting our mindset. With the theme of balance and light in mind, perhaps we can clean our windows with the intention of letting sunlight pour into our living space with warmth and reverence. Perhaps we’ll dust the long untouched corners of the bookshelf to prepare space for new books or a new altar. Maybe this year, we finally go full Marie Kondo in each room and let go of stuff that no longer spark joy. Or we can just turn on upbeat music and reorganize that shoe closet contemplating how we would like to step into a new version of ourselves this year. For me, I’ll be attending to the kitchen pantry spices calling on me to relieve them of being woefully stacked – it’ll happen soon!

2.    Planting seeds

Naturally, spring is the time when we plan out any garden we wish to cultivate, both physically or metaphorically. It’s the time to rid any weeds, decay and casualties of winter, prepare the soil for the growing season, and sow the seeds we will harvest in fall. This could be the year to try growing a new crop you’ve always wanted to try, or perfect the methods for nurturing a herb and vegetable garden that dreams are made of. Whether you have access to a spacious backyard garden or you live in the city and grow your herbs in containers, planting seeds are a great way to get into the spirit of spring.

3.    Walk in nature

Like bears coming out of hibernation, we too are coming out of a slow slumber. As the days become longer and warmer, we can enjoy more time outdoors and take long appreciative moments to marvel at the magnificence of nature. Even here in the city, we watch as the trees in between the alleys budding and growing taller each year. Simply stepping outside in the fresh air and taking a slow walk through the park or a trail to appreciate the sights and sounds of nature can be a ritual in itself.

4.    Make a seasonal dish 

One of the most delectable ways to enjoy spring is certainly to enjoy a delicious spring meal! Eating with the season has long been a practise of our ancestors, but is more difficult in the modern world. Nevertheless, the process of gathering a few seasonal ingredients, carefully selecting the items for our meal, washing and handling the ingredients and appreciating their delicacy, and mindfully preparing them can fantastic activity to enjoy. Depending on where you are, you may have access to a variety of different types ingredients. Asparagus, radish, watercress, escarole, sugar snap peas, arugula, spring onion, and leeks are all fantastic this time of year. I’ve got my eyes set on a tantalizing lemony asparagus risotto to try out this week :)

5.    Rise with the sun 

you live in the northern hemisphere, particular towards the top, the nights have been long and it can be hard to wake up with the sun since the sun doesn’t arrive until late. Now that the days are starting to get longer, we can practise waking up earlier and earlier to meet the sun in the morning as the days culminate in the summer solstices, when daylight is longest. This helps us tune in to our body’s circadian rhythm and align ourselves with nature. Observing our body’s natural cycles throughout the day can positively impact our energy, mood and overall health.

If you are a consistent early riser or wake up at a certain hour each day, this might not apply to you as much. However it can still be a great practise to simply note the changing hour that the sun rises each day, and observe any impact it has on you throughout the day.

6.    Practise gratitude

Though not always easy to implement, gratitude is a great habit to practise on the daily. On this special occasion of the spring equinox, we can perform a special gratitude practise by showing appreciation for the past winter season and what it has taught us. Whether it’s simply surviving the frosty chill or learning the meaning of deep rest and regeneration, there’s something we can garner from old man winter and the gifts we have received.

7.    Rekindle a connection

With the theme of regeneration, restoration and rejuvenation in mind, renewing a connection with an old friend, acquaintance, or just someone we haven’t talked with in long time may be a great way to rekindle an old relationship or inspire a new connection. In business, maybe it’s about resurrecting that low priority project, or getting in touch with an old client and seeing what they would use help with. Or maybe this is the year we reinstate the tradition of a family cottage trip this summer that got put aside during the pandemic.  

8.    Journal

If journaling is a regular practise for you, this will feel like second nature. If it happens sporadically or rarely for you, this will be an energetic and enriching exercise of the mind. There are many things we can journal on to observe the spring season and set our intentions for the upcoming season and astrological year ahead. We can either write in a stream of consciousness, pouring our thoughts out on paper, or journal strategically with question prompts. If the latter is more your style, consider the following ideas to reflect upon the past and coming season:

• What has winter taught me and what am I grateful for this past season?
• What is currently stirring inside me, waiting to be created / awakened within me?
• What do I want to invite into my life this right now, this season, or this year?
• How do I want to grow and evolve this year?
• How do I want to serve or give back this year?
• What do I want to harvest this fall / end of the year?

9.    Move your body

In some ancient cultures, spring is celebrated with a bonfire and dancing. This could be fun today too, if you have access to such a space and festivity. If you’re in the city like me and hardly know how to make a bonfire and dance like a zombie, simply moving the body, enjoy a yoga class, stretching exercise, workout routine, Zumba class, or a long hike in nature are all excellent ways to move the body and thaw out or loosen tight joints that might have been frozen during winter. This can also be the perfect time to set an intention around movement to observe this year, get our body ready for summer, or feel better than ever.  

10. Create a spring altar 

Carving out a little space at home and creating an altar can be a great way to invite the positive energy of spring into the home. It can be as complex or as simple as you like. If you’re a spiritual person, this can be a sacred practise; if you’re not, it can just be an dedicated space that doubles as lovely décor. It might look like a corner with a few crystals, flowers and candles, which would be beautiful, or it can be whatever resonates with you. The idea is to keep the space clean, carefully select items and objects that reflect the season, and do it with honoring spring in mind. Consider the colors of the objects you might select (e.g., green and yellow for spring, orange for the sun, etc.) as well as the elements. Earth elements, such as a rock or a branch (found on the ground), or small things that you gather in nature can be a great selection. Seeds, bulbs, plants or flowers are earth elements that also represent growth and the beauty of spring. The possibilities are endless and can be a fun activity to enjoy with kids and family.

11. Set an intention 

As is traditional, setting an intention is the practise underpinning most new year rituals for many cultures across the globe. As you probably noticed, most of the items mentioned above center around creating practises that honour nature and spring, reflect upon the past year, and create intentionality around the things we do in the upcoming season and new year. Remember the new year resolutions some of us set on December 31^st last year? A few of those are still top of mind for me, while others have kinda, sorta, definitely fallen way by the wayside. This makes this time of year a perfect time of year to reinstate some of the things we long for, with greater conviction and energy. With the warmer weather and longer days ahead of us, the frost of winter behind us, and the promising growth of spring in the air, this can truly be a better time to make our intentions lasting, and plant new seeds in the ground.

Happy spring to all, and to all a wonderful and fulfilling new year ahead!