A Sign of Spring
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EmailSpring begins with the vernal equinox at 7:02 A.M. (EDT) on March 20, 2013 in the Northern Hemisphere. Here’s more about the start of spring, signs of spring, and stunning spring photos!
The Vernal Equinox
Ah, spring! This season brings increasing daylight, warming temperatures, and the rebirth of flora and fauna.
The word equinox is derived from the Latin words meaning “equal night.” Days and nights are approximately equal everywhere and the Sun rises and sets due east and west.
At the equinoxes, the tilt of Earth relative to the Sun is zero, which means that Earth’s axis neither points toward nor away from the Sun. (However, the tilt of Earth relative to its plane of orbit, called the ecliptic plane, is always about 23.5 degrees.)
See your local Sun rise and set times—and how the day length changes!
Find last spring frost dates.
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Vernal Equinox Questions and Answers
Question: Why doesn’t the vernal equinox (equal night) on March 20 have the same number of hours for day and night?
Answer: Our former astronomer, George Greenstein, had this to say: "There are two reasons. First, light rays from the Sun are bent by the Earth's atmosphere. (This is why the Sun appears squashed when it sets.) They are bent in such a way that we are actually able to see the Sun before it rises and after it sets. The second reason is that daytime begins the moment any part of the Sun is over the horizon, and it is not over until the last part of the Sun has set. If the Sun were to shrink to a starlike point and we lived in a world without air, the spring and fall equinoxes would truly have ‘equal nights.’”
View the reason for the seasons and why the seasons change.
Question: According to folklore, you can stand a raw egg on its end on the equinox. Is this true?
Answer: One spring, a few minutes before the vernal equinox, several Almanac editors tried this trick. For a full workday, 17 out of 24 eggs stood standing. Three days later, we tried this trick again and found similar results. Perhaps 3 days after the equinox was still too near. Try this yourself and let us know what happens!
Signs of Spring
Spring is also the time when worms begin to emerge from the earth, ladybugs land on screen doors, green buds appear, birds chirp, and flowers begin to bloom. The vernal, or spring, equinox signals the beginning of nature’s renewal in the Northern Hemisphere.
You can track when the seasons change by recording animal behaviors and the way that the plants grow. Listen to the new sounds and observe what you hear and see.
How do you know that spring is coming? Share your comment below!
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Spring Pictures
Our ecards are great photographs to send to family and friends.
Browse our full Spring Ecard Gallery.
Tree Peony After Rain. Send as ecard!
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Spring Folklore and Verse
One swallow does not make a spring.
Bluebirds are a sign of spring; warm weather and gentle south breezes they bring.
In spring, no one thinks of the snow that fell last year.
Don’t say that spring has come until you can put your foot on nine daisies.
Spring-time sweet!
The whole Earth smiles, thy coming to greet.
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When does summer start? Click here to see our Seasons page which lists the first day of each season.
Comments
Anything that has multiple
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By Rob van Hemert
Anything that has multiple points of contact with a hard surface should be able to be balanced and be freestanding. A broom with hard bristles should be easier to balance than one with soft pliable bristles. Also, the juxtaposition of the handle to the bristles can make a difference but should be able to be overcome. I fail to see the sun's affect on this issue except if its done outdoors and the heat of the sun softens the bristles. You also have to factor in air movement and direction in order to overcome the effect this may have on the freestanding broom. The story of the broom levitation is remarkable, if true, but I also wonder what he was smoking at the time.
On the first day of Spring, a
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By billschnier
On the first day of Spring, a male bluebird kept repeatedly coming to my sliding glass patio door and pecking at it. I hope he was the "bluebird of happiness."
I got up this morning, I
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By WillyAK
I got up this morning, I believe I dusted my broom
No Wonder I feel so good. Its
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By Drew2075
No Wonder I feel so good. Its My Birthday and Ill cry if I want to. Have lots of Spring in my Step this morning. Good morning To All.... Have a Wonderful Day!
I could never balance my
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By Mr. Logical
I could never balance my checkbook until today (vernal equinox 2013) and I was standing in my kitchen when I did it! It must all be true. ;)
Diamonds really sparkle today
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By Harvard Grad
Diamonds really sparkle today but the egg trick next to the broom after morning but this was just silly as we sat and waited for the turn but it never happened so we just went back to the broom and there it was and Stacy said she saw it. Too weird...
Explain that Rick??? LOL...good luck Sean
My friend *Anna* stands
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By Gainesville Gator
My friend *Anna* stands brooms up all the time and leaves them at the store in the middle of the aisle that way. The looks on peoples faces is awesome. So funny..
All your broom are belong to
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By CATS
All your broom are belong to us!
Somebody set us up the egg!
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By Astroboy
Somebody set us up the egg!
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF
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By VIOLETVISIONS
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF SPRING: "Imbolc or Imbolg (pronounced i-MOLK or i-MOLG ), also called (Saint) Brighid’s Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Bríde, Scottish Gaelic: Là Fhèill Brìghde, Manx: Laa’l Breeshey), is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of spring. Most commonly it is held on 31 January–1 February, or halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox." THINK YOU MIGHT BE WILLING TO SET YOUR WEBSITE ARIGHT?
Hmmm, you contradict
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By VAHiker
Hmmm, you contradict yourself. You state that the beginning of spring is the Gaelic festival, but then state it's halfway between the winter solstice and the SPRING solstice. The solstice marks the actual start of spring not a festival.
It's been anything but a mild
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By Mark AS
It's been anything but a mild winter here in central New England. January was typically very cold, and since the second week of February, we've had about 60 inches of snow. (with maybe 6-12 more inches tomorrow night). But as I write this, I calculate there's about sixty hours left of winter. And I've always said it doesn't matter half as much what it's doing outside as what the calendar says. And the calendar says it's Spring on Wednesday. Ah, Spring. Yeah, baby!
I'm living in Western KY next
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By downs74
I'm living in Western KY next to the Ohio River. My jonquils have been blooming for two weeks. The last two winters here have been mild and we are now designated zone 7 by the "experts" who determine these things. We were zone 6b. Global warming? Another debatable issue. I am 74 and I know the weather patterns are greatly different than they were in my youth so something IS happening on this earth.
Crazy so many places are mild
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By Ugod02010
Crazy so many places are mild and getting ready for spring I live just about an hr east of Pittsburgh and we are below average lows. We barely make it past 35 or so. Last weekend we had 2 days that were almost 50 but then right back to teens and low 20s in the am. So count your blessings guys
Here in WV two things really
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By Rhonda Ryniawec
Here in WV two things really speak spring to me, the peeping of the frogs on the pond and the return of the red-winged blackbird. I dearly love them both.
Azaleas are in bloom in deep
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By Fireball
Azaleas are in bloom in deep South Georgia and the Bluebirds are more active. It's Springtime !
Greetings to all my American
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By Houland Wolfe
Greetings to all my American cousins, from the social democratic paradise that exists on your Far North (i.e. Canada). Toronto, Ontario also had a mild winter with perhaps 1/10th the snow of New York City. I prefer the brisk, sunny days of March to the high heat and humidity of July. I beg the gods of Climate Change to keep our summer on the cool side. Warm regards (but not too warm).
The good old Earth, each year
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By Unkla Noonziand
The good old Earth, each year it renews its promise to bring its mildness and sweetness and life to us. The dear Earth.
North TX has experienced a
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By Bekca
North TX has experienced a 'normal' winter, seasonal snow, sleet and rain but for me, has been more uncomfortable than usual (debates are whether more or less humidity affects one's tolerence to cold.) We've had some warm days tho' with robins arriving, black birds migrating, and several pairs of cardinals returning and nesting, signaling spring is closer for our part of the state. Experts recommending holding off applying fertilizer since ground hasn't warmed up for growing because of fewer sunny winter days.
In my neck of the woods, you
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By mr. chippy
In my neck of the woods, you know that Spring is here when you see your first chipmunk. Last year it was March 17. Hope it's sooner than that this year!
Around here, in North Texas
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By oteka1965
Around here, in North Texas near the panhandle, I know it's nearly spring when my grape hyacinths show green leaves and start to send up shoots. We've got green but no shoots just yet. Might get another cold snap or two this year. Or so say the hyacinths, lol.
Okie Girl I live southeast of
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By watosh
Okie Girl I live southeast of you in Arkansas and we are still having to bring in the brass monkey at night.
The moon controls the oceans,
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By Merlink
The moon controls the oceans, who is controlling the broom . Better call ghost busters hehehe
You can balance a raw egg on
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By D Wang
You can balance a raw egg on its wide end any day of the year, not just the equinox.
The 16th of March has a day
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By FaeirieKatherine
The 16th of March has a day length of 11:59 hours. This is about as close as you can get to equal day/night length and should rightly be called the vernal equinox. I am wondering if the 20th is just a traditional date for simplicity's sake and is really not the scientific equinox!
I chuckled at the photo of
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By enantiodromia
I chuckled at the photo of the American robin in signs of spring. Most American robins do not migrate very far; they simply shift locally due to a change in their feeding habits (from worms in your yards to the berries on trees). If you want to find them in the dead of winter you have only to go so far as the deep woods nearby.
For birds, a better sign of impending spring in most locations is to visit your local marsh and see if there are Red-winged Blackbirds. They're truly long-distance migratory birds that are easily identifiable by sight and song.
To, the robin is still a
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By Andy Fox
To, the robin is still a great symbol of spring. Though some varieties will spend the whole winter in their breeding range, many do not. And those that stay tend to roost up in trees and not spend much time in the yard. So, when you see them tugging at worms in your yard, THAT is a symbol of spring.
Actually..the most accurate
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By aprilmn
Actually..the most accurate thing I found is watching the mesquite bushes (I'm from west Texas) once you see them bloom, its spring...no more frosts have ever came past that point.
I Live in ohio and it is hit
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By Sapphire miracle
I Live in ohio and it is hit and miss here. The begining of December we had 50-70 degree weather then it was cold for a while, January was 20-70 degree weather. So far February 1st and 2nd we have had snow storms leaving 2-5 inches of snow and temperatures in the teens. In Cincinnati Ohio our motto is if you do not like the weather today wait until tomorrow!!!
it does work with the egg I
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By Rose ga
it does work with the egg I had done that many times also when from fall to winter it happens the same thing. it's pretty cool special if u make bets hehehehe... also is a nice way to teach why that happen.
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