When day and night are the same. Day of the spring and autumn equinox. Equinoxes and solstices

After a long winter, we are all looking forward to the coming of spring. In March, buds appear on the trees, nature comes to life after a long sleep, birds sing and the sun shines. The Vernal Equinox Day, beloved by many - what date will it be in 2020 and how is it celebrated? Read the details in this article.

What happens on this day?

First of all, let's figure out what it is the vernal equinox. In fact, the answer lies in the title Equinox: Day equal to night, that is, the duration of light and dark time of day is the same.

There is a distinction between the spring equinox, which is celebrated in March, and the autumn equinox, which is celebrated in September. Some also talk about the spring solstice, but this is wrong. After all, they happen only in summer and winter - in June and December.

The date of the holiday falls on different days in different years: March 19, 20 or 21. The exact date depends on the year, it's all about the calendar shift due to leap years.

In 2020, the spring equinox will occur on March 20 at 06:50 am Moscow time. If you live in another region, you can calculate the time yourself, knowing Moscow time.

After this day, the length of daylight hours begins to increase, and the day becomes longer than the night.

Watch the video where the astronomical essence of the equinox phenomenon is revealed:

On March 21, the Sun moves from the zodiac sign Pisces to the sign of Aries, and astrological spring begins (the period of the signs Aries, Taurus, Gemini).

Since the Aries sign is associated with new things and initiative, this is a good time to start implementing new projects, implementing ideas and plans. Nature is being revived, so human activity in the world must also be revived.

Table of spring equinoxes until 2025

Ritual to fulfill a wish

The spring solstice is a time of miracles and mysticism, when the Wheel of Fate can be turned in the right direction. Traditionally, various rituals were performed on this day. Today I will present a spring ritual to make a wish come true.

Important conditions: the desire must concern you personally and it should not be associated with harm to other people.

Choose a quiet place and ask not to be interrupted for half an hour. Prepare a white candle.

• Light a candle.
• Find a comfortable position with a straight back, for example, sit cross-legged.
• Place the candle so that it is comfortable to look at it.
• Relax. Close your eyes. Breathe evenly and slowly.
• Imagine that your wish has already come true. For example, if you want to buy new car, then imagine yourself behind the wheel, as if you were driving around the city in a brand new car. Mentally examine the registration certificate you just received.
• Be sure to experience the emotions that a fulfilled desire will give you - delight, joy, satisfaction.
• Now place the image of the wish fulfilled in the pink sphere.
• The sphere rises up and flies into the sky, higher and higher.
• You have let go of your desire, thus leaving a request to the Universe for its fulfillment.

Try to forget about your desire for a while. Then it will certainly come true.

Folk signs of the holiday

People pass on signs for the Day of the Vernal Equinox from generation to generation.

1. Whatever your thoughts and desires are, this will be the case all year. The fact is that on March 21, the energy template for the subsequent months of the year is laid. Therefore, thoughts must be positive, and wishes to other people only bright and kind. You can't wish bad things even on your enemies.
2. The more fun you have on this day, the more fun your year will be.
3. On this day, our ancestors looked for spring thawed patches and counted them. If you find 40 pieces, then spring will bring good luck.
4. If the day turns out to be frosty, then another 40 days of frost are expected. And if the day is warm, then there will be no night frosts.

The holiday of the spring equinox among different nations

The spring equinox is celebrated all over the world. Different peoples greet spring in different ways, but they all have common features - every person rejoices at the reborn Sun and looks forward to welcoming warmth.

Holiday among the Slavs

The holiday of the spring equinox among the Slavs was called Magpies or Larks. The first name comes from the Forty Martyrs of Sebastia - Christian soldiers who refused to make sacrifices to pagan gods because they deeply believed in Christ.

However, even in the pre-Christian era, the spring equinox was celebrated on a grand scale. It was believed that on this day there comes a balance between light and darkness. The sun wakes up to give people warmth and harvest.

The Slavs called the Day of the Vernal Equinox - Larks. According to legend, on this day migratory larks return to their homeland, followed by other migratory birds.

Before this day, any agricultural work was prohibited, since the land was still in hibernation. Now she has begun to awaken.

For the holiday, housewives made ritual pastries from unleavened dough in the shape of larks. Birds were often baked with their wings and crests spread out. But each housewife, of course, had her own recipe.

The baked larks were given to the children. They ran with them into the street, threw them up, imitating the arrival of birds. Sometimes children would put the birds on a stick to raise them even higher towards the sun. These ritual actions were accompanied by calls of spring, the children shouted out special chants - calls of spring.

After the game, the larks were eaten, but the heads of the birds were not eaten. They were usually given to livestock.

Fortune telling was also common. For example, the housewife baked one bird for each family member. A coin was placed inside one. Whoever gets the bird with the coin will be happy all year.

Spring Larks Baking Recipes

How to cook larks for the Spring Equinox? Watch the recipe in the video:

And here is another recipe - a simpler one, made from yeast-free dough:

Celtic holiday Ostara

The holiday, named after the goddess of fertility of the earth named Ostare, is celebrated on the Day of the Vernal Equinox. The ancient Celts opened the agricultural season from this day.

The goddess Ostare is one of the most “ancient” goddesses, known since the second millennium BC. It is also associated with the awakening of nature, with the first herbs and flowers.

On this day, the ancient Germans performed rituals for the fertility of fields and trees in the coming season. It was customary to cleanse people of the filth accumulated over the winter.

The following were popular on this holiday:

• Pouring water;
• Fumigation with smoke;
• Jumping over the fire;
• The descent of fiery wheels from the mountain;
• Throwing fire arrows.

After the advent of Christianity, the pagan Spring Equinox was combined with the Christian Annunciation.

There are two main symbols of the goddess Ostare. The first of these is the moon hare or rabbit. It symbolized fertility (everyone knows how rabbits breed) and personified rebirth.

According to legend, the goddess Ostare saw a wounded bird in the snow. He took pity on the bird and, wanting to save it from death, turned it into a hare. In its new guise, the bird still laid eggs. Therefore, the second symbol of the holiday was considered an egg - a symbol of the Sun and the rebirth of nature.

The eggs were painted with protective symbols, as well as signs of peace, wealth, fertility, etc. The ritual is similar to the painting of Easter eggs that are familiar to us today.

Higan in Japan

The vernal equinox in Japan is associated with a Buddhist holiday called Higan. This is a public holiday and a day off for the Japanese.

However, the celebrations last a whole week: they begin 3 days before the equinox and end 3 days after it ends. The exact date of the equinox is calculated every year at the National Observatory.

The name “khigan” is translated as “that shore” or “the world where the souls of ancestors settled.” Accordingly, this is a holiday of honoring ancestors.

Before the holiday, the Japanese carefully clean their houses and put things in order. They clean the home altar with photographs of ancestors and their personal belongings, place fresh flowers and ritual food.

During the holiday week, Japanese residents go to the graves of their deceased relatives. All ritual foods are vegetarian. This is a tribute to the Buddhist tradition of not killing any living beings and not eating meat. The menu is based on rice, vegetables, beans, root vegetables and vegetable broths.

IN holidays The Japanese visit Buddhist temples, order prayers and pay ritual honors to departed ancestors.

Soon after Higana, the cherry blossom season begins, which symbolizes the true rebirth of nature. All residents of the Land of the Rising Sun go to admire the beautiful and short-lived phenomenon.

Turkic Nowruz

The traditional holiday of Novruz or Nauryz is celebrated by Turkic and Iranian peoples, this is one of the most ancient holidays in human history. Has no relation to Islam, originated in Zoroastrianism and is associated with the astronomical phenomenon of the spring equinox. It is considered the true beginning of the New Year.

Currently, Novruz is celebrated on March 21 in Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and other countries. In Russia, this holiday is celebrated in Bashkortostan, Tatarstan and Dagestan.

Preparations for Nowruz begin well in advance. Be sure to clean the house, pay off debts, and ask for forgiveness for the grievances caused. A variety of traditional dishes are prepared. Be sure to have a lot of sweets. It is believed that the richer the table, the happier the year will be.

Sprouted wheat is often placed on the table, symbolizing the rebirth of nature.

There is a tradition of organizing a fire festival on Novruz. For example, they make a fire and dance around it. And then they jump over the fire. It is believed that this allows you to cleanse yourself of all ailments and problems.

Thus, the date of the vernal equinox is very important in history and culture different nations peace. On this day everyone welcomes spring, the reborn sun and hopes for a rich harvest.

Hello, dear readers of the Sprint-Response website. In this article we will find out the answer to the question about the place on the globe where day is equal to night throughout the year. The question was asked in the game "Who want to be a millionaire?" dated October 28, 2017, a review of which can be read by following the link above. This question also often appears in numerous quizzes.

Where on the globe is day equal to night throughout the year?

The correct answer is highlighted in blue and in bold, the list of answer options can be seen below. And here's what Wikipedia tells us about this.

The length of the day depends on geographical latitude place and from the declination of the Sun. At the earth's equator it is approximately constant and amounts to 12 hours 7 minutes; deviations from half a day are due to the very definition of sunrise and sunset, since sunrise and sunset are traditionally considered the moment the upper edge of the solar disk intersects the visible horizon, and not the moment the center of the Sun intersects the true horizon. In addition, the refraction of sunlight also affects the length of the day. The inclination of the earth's axis to the ecliptic plane determines fluctuations in the length of the day. In the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth, the length of the day is more than 12 hours from mid-March to the end of September, and with increasing latitude it increases to the polar day. From the end of September to mid-March it is less than 12 hours and with increasing latitude the length of the day decreases to the polar night. In the Southern Hemisphere it is the other way around: from mid-March to the end of September it is less than 12 hours.

8. Where on the globe is day equal to night throughout the year?

• at the poles
• on the Arctic Circle
• on the prime meridian
• at the equator

Twice a year, on the days of the autumn (September 22-23) and spring (March 20-21) equinoxes, the Earth turns towards the Sun in such a way that the sun's rays fall vertically on the equator. And then, all over the globe - at the poles and at the equator, in temperate latitudes and in the tropics - the length of day and night becomes the same. It is curious that in Latin this event is called " aequinoctium”, which translates as “equinocity”. In this sense, the Germans who use the word " Tagundnachtgleiche” (“equality of day and night”) turned out to be more logical.

Autumn in the northern hemisphere. Artens | Shutterstock.com

On the day of the autumn equinox, the Sun crosses the equator and goes into the southern half of the celestial sphere. From this moment on, astronomical autumn begins throughout the entire northern hemisphere of the Earth, and darkness takes more and more minutes from the light every day! The shortest day of the year, which falls on December 21 or 22, marks the beginning of astronomical winter. After this, daylight hours gradually increase and by the beginning of the third ten days of March it becomes equal to night. On the day of the vernal equinox, autumn comes again on our planet, only this time in the southern hemisphere...

Yellowed leaves. Calin Stan | Shutterstock.com

An interesting fact is that autumn and winter in the northern hemisphere are a week shorter than the autumn and winter season in the southern hemisphere. Since the number of days from the spring equinox to the autumn equinox is 186, and the time interval from the autumn to the spring equinox is only 179 days! The fact is that in the winter of the northern hemisphere the Earth moves around the celestial body somewhat faster than in the winter of the southern hemisphere. After all, in January Earth passes the point of orbit closest to the Sun - perihelion. And at perihelion, as is known, the linear speed of the planet increases! Therefore, we, residents of northern latitudes, are in a more favorable position than residents of southern latitudes, whose dark and cold seasons are longer by as much as 7 days!

Spring is coming in Australia. Bui Viet Hung | Shutterstock.com

However, the moment is approaching when we are forced to pass the baton of spring and summer to the inhabitants of the southern hemisphere. This will happen tomorrow. In the meantime, let's enjoy the last hours of the passing astronomical summer, especially since the weather is conducive to it!

The day of the vernal equinox (Spring Equinox) is one of the most unique natural phenomena, the essence of which, in scientific language, boils down to the fact that “at the moment of the equinox, the center of the Sun in its visible movement along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator.”

On this day, the Earth, rotating around its imaginary axis passing through the poles, while simultaneously moving around the Sun, is in such a position in relation to the luminary that the sun's rays carrying thermal energy, fall vertically towards the equator. The sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and on these days in all countries the day is almost equal to night.

There are spring and autumn equinoxes. Universal time (in other time zones these dates may differ by a day) in the northern hemisphere spring equinox occurs 20th of March when the Sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and autumn equinox occurs September 22 or 23(in 2019 - September 23), when the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern. In the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the March equinox is considered autumn, and the September equinox is considered spring.

The spring and autumn equinoxes are considered the astronomical beginning of the respective seasons. The period of time between two equinoxes of the same name is called the tropical year. This year is today and is accepted for measuring time. There are approximately 365.2422 sunny days in a tropical year. It is because of this “approximately” that the equinox falls at a different time of day every year, each year moving forward by about 6 hours.

On the Day of the Vernal Equinox, many peoples and nationalities of the Earth begin New Year: Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan - almost all the countries of the Great Silk Road associate the beginning of the new year with this natural phenomenon.

The ancient scientists of China, India, and Egypt knew very well about the days of the vernal equinox. In ancient times, the day of the spring equinox was considered a great holiday.

In religion in ancient times, the day of the vernal equinox was also given considerable importance. The date of Easter, which is celebrated every year at different times, was counted from the day of the vernal equinox as follows: March 21 - the first full moon - the first Sunday, which was considered a holiday.

Many peoples have preserved the day of the vernal equinox as a holiday in the calendar. For example, in Farsi it is called , which means “new day.” Rooted in the traditions of ancient farmers of the Middle East and Central Asia, the holiday has become an integral part of the culture of many peoples professing Islam.

In the CIS, the equinox day is celebrated as a national holiday by Tatars, Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks and many other peoples. Navruz has been announced in a number of countries public holiday, and March 21 is a day off.

On this day, light and darkness are divided equally. In ancient times, when there were no calendars, spring was determined by the sun. It was believed that it was from this day that renewal in nature began: the first spring thunder, the swelling of buds on the trees, the lush sprouting of greenery.

The day of the vernal equinox was especially revered in the pagan faith. It was believed that on this day in the annual cycle, Spring, personifying the revival and rebirth of nature, replaces Winter.

When the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere, the autumn equinox occurs.

When talking about equinox dates, we should distinguish between a date based on universal time and a date for a specific time zone:

if the equinox occurs before 12:00 universal time, in some countries located west of the prime meridian, this day may not yet have arrived and according to local time, the arrival of the equinox will be considered 1 day earlier;

if the equinox occurs later than 12:00 universal time, then in some countries located east of the prime meridian, the next day may already have arrived and the date of the equinox will be 1 more.

According to the creators of the Gregorian calendar, the “official” date of the vernal equinox is March 21 (literally “12 days before the Kalends of April”), since this was the date of the vernal equinox during the Council of Nicaea.

The last time in this century the spring equinox fell on March 21 in 2007 and further in the 21st century it will fall on March 20 or even March 19.

Equinoxes imply at least basic knowledge of astronomical terms, because the equinox itself is a phenomenon studied by this particular science.

Required knowledge of astronomical terms

Our star moves along the ecliptic, which is, in non-scientific language, the plane of the earth's orbit. And the moment when the sun, making its way along the ecliptic, crosses the celestial equator, which is a large circle of air and parallel to the earth’s equator (their planes coincide, and both of them are perpendicular to the axis of the world), is called the equinox. also an astronomical concept that has nothing to do with Schwarzenegger) is a line that divides any celestial body into the sunlit part and the “night part”. So, on the day of the equinox, it is this terminator that passes through the geographic poles of the Earth and divides it into two equal half-ellipses.

Characteristic feature contained in the name

The name itself contains the concept that on the day of the equinox, night and day are equal. From a scientific point of view, the night is always a little shorter, and the sun rises and sets not exactly in the east and west, but slightly to the north. But still, from childhood we know that June 22 is not only the day the war began and school proms(this was the case in Soviet time), but also the day of the summer equinox. However, December 22 is also called the summer and winter solstice. This happens because the sun during these periods of time is either at the highest point above the horizon, or at the lowest, and farthest from the celestial equator. That is, on the day of the equinox, the light and dark parts of the day are almost equal to each other.

The number characteristic of the equinox and solstice

On the days of the solstices, one of them - either day or night - maximally exceeds the other. The equinoxes and solstices are also notable for the fact that they mark the beginning of the changing seasons. These dates are very remarkable, and one of the family members always says that today is the longest or shortest day, or that today is day equal to night. And this sets him apart from the series of consecutive days. Almost always the date of these moments becomes the 22nd, but there are also leap years and other moments and phenomena of astronomy that affect the date shift to the 21st or 23rd. The months of March, June, September and December are those in which the equinoxes and solstices fall.

Holidays that come from ancient times

Of course, they have been known since ancient times. Our ancestors observed them and connected their lives with these dates; dozens of signs bear witness to this. The ancient Slavs have a specific holiday associated with each of these days, and it usually lasts a week (Carols, Rusalia, Maslenitsa Week). So, on the winter solstice there is Kolyada, a holiday later dedicated to Christmas. Great Day, or Komoeditsa, also known as Maslenitsa - these names mark the spring equinox, the birth of the young sun. From this day the astrological solar year begins, and our luminary moves to from the South. Maybe that’s why March 20 is an astrological holiday. Kupala (other names Midsummer Day, Solstice), or summer confrontation, is a great summer holiday of the ancient Slavs, covered in legends that glorified brave people who went out that night to look for a fern flower. Ovsen-Tausen, the day of the autumn equinox, after which winter slowly begins to take over, and the nights become longer. Therefore, our ancestors lit candles in Svyatovit (another name) - the most beautiful one was placed in a place of honor.

Special climate zone of the Earth

All these dates served as starting points for the beginning of certain activities necessary for life - seasonal types of agriculture, construction or winter supplies. The days of the spring and autumn equinox are also characterized by the fact that the sun gives off its light and heat equally to both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and its rays reach both poles. These days it is located above the territory of such a climatic zone of the Earth as the tropics (translated from Greek it means a turning circle). In different directions from the equator to a little over 23 degrees, parallel to it are the northern and southern tropics. Characteristic feature The area enclosed between them is that above them twice a year the Sun reaches its zenith - once on June 22 over the northern tropic, or Tropic of Cancer, the second time - over the southern, or Tropic of Capricorn. This happens on December 22. This is typical for all latitudes. The Sun is never at its zenith north or south of the tropics.

One of the consequences of a shift in the direction of the earth's axis

On the days of the equinox and solstices, it intersects with the celestial equator at points located in (spring) and Virgo (autumn), and on the days of greatest and least distance from the equator, that is, on the days of the summer and winter solstices, in the constellations Taurus and Sagittarius, respectively . The summer solstice point moved from the zodiac constellation Gemini to Taurus in 1988. Under the influence of the attraction of the Sun and Moon, the earth's axis slowly shifts its direction (precession is another astronomical term), as a result of which the intersection points of the star with the celestial equator also shift. Spring dates differ from autumn dates, and if September falls on the 22nd-23rd, then to the question “When is the vernal equinox?” the answer will be March 20th. It must be stated that for Southern Hemisphere the dates will switch places - autumn ones will become spring ones, because everything is the other way around.

The role of the zodiac constellations

As noted above, the equinox points are the intersection points of the celestial equator with the ecliptic, and they have their own zodiac symbols corresponding to the constellations in which they are located: spring - Aries, summer - Cancer, autumn - Libra, winter - Capricorn. It should be noted that the period of time between two equinoxes of the same name is called a tropical year, the number of solar days in which differs by approximately 6 hours. And only thanks to the leap year, which repeats itself once every 4 years, does the date of the next equinox, which runs ahead, return to its previous date. The difference with the Gregorian year is negligible (tropical - 365.2422 days, Gregorian - 365.2425), because this modern calendar is designed in such a way that even in the long term the dates of the solstices and equinoxes fall on the same dates. This happens because it provides for a 3-day pass once every 400 years.

One of the most important practical tasks of astronomy is establishing the date of the equinox.

Dates range from 1 to 2, no more, days. So how can we determine in the coming years when the equinox is? It is noticed that as a result of the presence of slight fluctuations, the earliest dates, that is, the 19th, fall on leap years. Naturally, the latest ones (22) fall directly on the preceding leap days. There are very rarely earlier and later dates; the memory of them is preserved for centuries. So, back in 1696, the spring equinox fell on March 19, and in 1903, the autumn equinox fell on September 24. Contemporaries will not see such deviations, because the repetition of the 1696 record will occur in 2096, and the latest equinox (September 23) will occur no earlier than 2103. There are nuances associated with local time - a deviation in the number from the world time occurs only when the exact date falls on 24:00. After all, to the west of the reference point - the prime meridian - a new day has not yet arrived.