Quantcast
Channel: Yahoo! Canada Answers Blog » seasons / weather
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 7

Spring has Sprung!

0
0


spring.jpg

 

Flickr photo by OakleyOriginals

 

Spring makes its official debut on March 20th. If you live on a tropical island, it probably doesn’t mean much, but for us Canadians, the first day of spring, also known as the Vernal Equinox, is a big deal. Watching winter finally fade into spring is one of the highlights of our year!

 

In the northern hemisphere, the first day of spring is the day of the year when the sun travels directly over the equator, resulting in an equinox. As the Sun crosses the Equator, day and night are divided into equal lengths. Contrary to popular belief, the Earth is closest to the sun in December rather than in summer.

 

Now you’re probably wondering why it’s so cold during winter. This has to do with the tilt of the Earth’s axis and the Earth’s rotation around the sun. In the summer, our planet leans toward the sun, hence directly exposing itself to the sun’s warm rays. During the cooler seasons, Earth tilts away from the sun and the rays pass through the atmosphere at a greater slant.

 

Spring also holds a cultural significance. Easter happens during spring — the season of birth and renewal in Christianity. The name ‘Easter’ even comes from the Saxon dawn-goddess Eostre, whose festival was celebrated on spring equinox. In the Persian culture, Spring marks Nowruz, the beginning of the new year in the Iranian calendar.

 

What’s your favourite season? What’s your favourite thing about spring?


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 7

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images