Spring Things

Like this crocus, we are Resilient!

Dear Readers,
Well, 2020 was quite a year — and, as far as we are concerned, that is all the comment that it deserves.

As 2021 began, with promise of better things soon to come, we decided NOT to do one of our anniversary issues; instead, we planned something light and upbeat as we waited to see how the new year unfolded.

Unfortunately, the problems of 2020 were not ready to turn loose of us just yet: before we could publish, we were hit with a series of unfortunate events, including climate and weather events, ongoing drought in our area, ongoing economic fallout from the pandemic, unforeseen breakages and repair issues, and health problems that result from our advancing ages — all even more complicated by continued restrictions caused by the Covid pandemic.

We really ARE very much a collaborative effort: when one of our people is out of commission, we can’t publish this blog; and, during the last six weeks, EVERYBODY was out at one time or another. The good news is that WE ARE FINALLY BACK; the better news is that, even when we could not give you a finished product, those who were able were busy stockpiling ideas, research, parts and pieces for new posts which are now in the pipeline ready to finish up and publish over the next several months. We’ve done a lot of jiggling and juggling, changed emphasis or direction on some of our topics, and rearranged almost everything to get a steady flow of new material ready to go.

So, to start us back up, we begin with a little celebration of Spring, and of Spring celebrations. Enjoy, and stay tuned …

J.D., Annake’s Garden Gnome

Here in the United States, Spring 2021 officially begins at 5:30 AM Eastern Standard Time, on March 20th. This is the beginning of the Spring Equinox, the astronomical beginning of Spring. The word "equinox" is made up of two Latin words meaning "equal" and "night". The actual clock time for the beginning of spring depends on how far you are above the Equator (an imaginary line which divides the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern Hemisphere. The word hemisphere refers to the halves of the globe above and below the Equator. Spring begins when the sun heads north from the Equator into the northern sky. If you were anywhere along the Equator at that time, the sun would pass right over your head on its journey,

Mountain sunrise, photo by J.J.

We use a number of words with the "equ" beginning. For example, "equals", "equivalent", "equality", "equidistant", "equilibrium' and "equity". The word "equinox" implies that the day and night are exactly the same length on that date. There are small variations, depending on how far you are from the Equator, but this is the date when the day and night at least come the closest to being equal. The Spring Equinox is also called the Vernal Equinox ("Vernalis", a late Latin word meaning "of the Spring".) The Equinoxes are the only times when the sun rises due east and sets due west.

Remember that when it is the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the beginning of Autumn (from a Latin word referring to harvest time) and is called the Autumnal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere, below the Equator. I was born on the Autumnal Equinox in the United States in September. I like to treat myself to a little gift like chocolates or a new straw hat on the Spring Equinox — kind of a half-birthday present.

By mid-March, it is easy to see that the days are getting longer. Some people mistakenly believe that this begins with the Equinox, but it really began in December with the shortest day and longest night of the year — the Winter Solstice. The very next day the days began growing longer, and will do so until the Summer Solstice — the longest day and shortest night of the year— in June, starting on the way to the Autumnal Equinox.

There are numerous holidays and special occasions in the Spring. This year I expect that most of us will enjoy those virtually or not at all, from Saint Patrick's Day to Arbor Day. But times will get better and we will participate again. In the meantime, there are things we can do for ourselves and for others and we can learn about spring customs in other places. If you have access to the Travel Channel, you may see pictures or films of some of these.

Saint Patrick was a real person, although he didn't drive the snakes out of Ireland, because there weren't any there to begin with. Born in England, he was captured by slave traders as a teenager and taken to Ireland, where he served as a shepherd. He escaped and returned to England, where he trained for the priesthood. Then he returned to Ireland, where he was very successful in organizing the early Church. He is associated with shamrocks and is supposed to have used them to teach people about the Trinity. He may well have done just that. Many people of his time (the 5th Century AD) could neither read nor write and were taught to understand and remember things by association with familiar objects. (In a previous post, we showed a shamrock embroidery pattern. Look for it here.)

The Golden Serpent of the Sun

One of the most interesting celebrations connected to the Spring Equinox is held at Chichen Itza's Great Pyramid in Mexico, built by the Maya people. The steps of the great pyramid at the Altar of Kukulkan were built in 365 segments representing the days of the year. The Mayan people were very advanced in the science of astronomy. On the equinox, at dawn and at sundown, a golden serpent appears to slither down the pyramid and eventually into a stone serpent's head at the base. The The Golden Serpent of the Sun is proclaimed to have arrived. This is a World Heritage site, preserved for all mankind, and has now been elevated to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Cherry blossoms in Senate Park

Many spring celebrations involve flowers, especially fruit tree blossoms. The most dramatic ones are held in Japan, where the cherry blossoms represent a time of renewal and an opportunity for improvement. People band together over food and music to reunite with old friends and meet new ones. The trees are illuminated so the celebrations can go on into the night. Similar cherry blossom celebrations occur in South Korea. The cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. are also a great tourist attraction.

I had to chuckle about Baba Marta's Day, celebrated in Belgium at the spring equinox. According to custom, Baba (Grandma) Marta was a waspish old lady who was almost always frowning or making faces at her two brothers. But when she DID smile, the sun came out! People wear red-and-white yarn tassels to express their desire for good health and the coming of spring, then hang the tassels on the fruit trees when they begin to bloom. Well, I'm not a Grandma, but I will certainly try to smile more often!)

Children celebrate Holi

Another colorful Spring holiday is Holi, celebrated in India and in other places where there are Hindu communities. The Festival of Color begins with an evening of singing and dancing. People light bonfires to celebrate the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil. The following day they come together to throw water and perfumed colored powders on one another. Everyone becomes very colorful and the water washes away the residue.

Another "wet" celebration is the Songkran Water Festival in Thailand, which follows closely after the Spring equinox. This is their traditional New Year's celebration. It is a time to clean the house, reflect on the past year, and pay your respects to family, neighbors, and the elderly. People bring food to the Buddhist monks and clean the statues of Buddha. Young people wash their elders' hands with scented water to achieve good luck and prosperity. In some places there are massive water fights, now embellished with water balloons and "super soakers". But perhaps the happiest water fighters are the elephants. They are dressed up and have their skins painted in patterns of vivid colors. They draw water into their trunks and seem to have great fun squirting it on people.

Effigies in bonfire

A colorful parade happens in Valencia, Spain. It started out long ago as a procession honoring St. Joseph, but it has changed mightily. First there is an art contest to make decorated human figures out of papier mache, cloth, wood and wax. The best 350 are placed on floats for the parade. The idea has become popular to use the parade to protest or satirize things that the float-makers don't like. Today most of the float figures may be caricatures of politicians and celebrities— not necessarily flattering ones. The parade happens on March 18th. On the following night, the figures from the floats are destroyed in a massive bonfire.

We hope these "Spring Things" will give you ideas for your own celebrations — snow or not — and make this a more hopeful and pleasant time for you this year.

Best wishes,