--- title: Vernal Equinox Means Springtime Is Finally Here description: Put away the jackets and gloves and break out the pastel colors because spring is finally here canonical: https://time.com/30230/springtime-is-finally-here-as-vernal-equinox-arrives/ author: Harry Swartout article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-03-19T17:44:55.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T08:47:55.735Z article:section: Science og:title: Spring is Almost Here og:description: The Vernal Equinox on 4/20 Mans Springtime for the Northern Hemisphere. og:url: https://time.com/30230/springtime-is-finally-here-as-vernal-equinox-arrives/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt418177d2a3776e57/6986862cadae440a73542097/spring-red-tulips.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4288 og:image:height: 2412 og:image:alt: Red tulips against blue sky og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Spring is Almost Here twitter:description: The Vernal Equinox on 4/20 Mans Springtime for the Northern Hemisphere. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt418177d2a3776e57/6986862cadae440a73542097/spring-red-tulips.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Springtime Is Finally Here as Vernal Equinox Arrives > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=a5c57a1f-fa1f-4182-b6e2-e1fb6253d818&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Vernal Equinox: Harbinger of Springtime [Watch (HLS stream): Vernal Equinox: Harbinger of Springtime](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/wFhshZTF.m3u8) (2:24)  _Published 2014-03-19. The vernal equinox is the celestial event that ushers in the change of seasons into spring, an event celebrated worldwide and not just for the warmer temperatures it ushers in._ by [Harry Swartout](https://time.com/author/harry-swartout/) ## Harry Swartout Mar 19, 2014 5:44 PM UTC by [Harry Swartout](https://time.com/author/harry-swartout/) ## Harry Swartout Mar 19, 2014 5:44 PM UTC Chilly weather may still be lingering in some areas of the U.S., but there’s light at the end of the tunnel — Thursday brings the Vernal Equinox, or the official beginning of spring. Twice a year, the earth’s axis is angled such that the world gets an equal amount of daylight and night. As the axis tilts further, the northern hemisphere receives more direct sunlight, leading to spring and summer’s warmer temperatures. The Equinox helps mark important celebrations around the world like Nowruz, the Persian New Year, Easter, and Passover. Put away the jackets and gloves and break out the pastel colors, because spring is finally here. ## Transcript Spring is upon us. We know this because the ice is thawed, flowers are blooming, and allergies are a thing again. We can thank Verne for all of that. You know Verne? No! No Verne, Vernal Equinox. Oh! See I got you on that one. Yeah, Doug, got us too. But moving on, the vernal equinox is coming up, as it does every year, but what is it? And why is it important to understanding spring? For starters, the vernal equinox, one of two equinoxes in the calendar year, marks the beginning of spring. The autumnal equinox is another season marker that signals the beginning of fall. According to Earthsky, the vernal equinox, which is also called the March or spring equinox, will always take place on March 19th, 20th, or 21st. Though in fact, it won't fall on the 19th until 2044, and we won't see it happen on the 21st until 2102. Equinox comes from Latin words, meaning equal night. That's because on those days the length of days and nights are the same all over the world. During the equinoxes, the sun gives an equal amount of warm love to northern and southern hemispheres, because the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward, nor away from the sun. But the Vernal Equinox isn't just a celestial event. The event is big for cultures all across the world. According to National Geographic the equinoxes have been associated with ancient monuments like el castillo in the ancient Mayan city Chichiniza. The vernal equinox also coincides with significant dates and celebrations like no rules, the celebration of the Persian new year. And Easter. Easter Sunday would be the first Sunday to follow the full moon after the spring equinox. It could occur anywhere between March 22nd and April 25th. Of course, Easter also gives us the season of egg obsession. Some believe Easter derives from Eostre, a goddess of fertility. The egg symbolizes birth and life. One how cats video combines the equinox, eggs, and fertility, to offering interesting suggestion on how to celebrate the start of spring. [ MUSIC ] Step 1, conceive a child. According to an ancient German legend, a goddess of fertility conceived a child with the sun god on the first day of spring. Now, we're not going to tell you how to celebrate. Just remember this year, the vernal equinox falls on Thursday, March 20th. Thanks for watching. I'm Jamal Andrews. 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