The Paradox of the March Equinox
The March equinox promises equal day and night, a perfect balance. But scratch beneath the surface and you'll find a paradox. Explore the backstories and whimsical anomalies of this event.
WEEKLY POST
Krystel Cabahug & Paulen Blaire Pernites
3/25/20243 min read
Nature's ever-changing rhythms serve as a reminder of its enduring mysteries. During the equinox, there's a charming belief that day and night share an equal stage for 12 beautiful hours each, as hinted by the Latin words "aequus," which means equal, and "nox," which means night. Yet, reality paints a different picture, with most places favoring the sun's embrace.
Still, most locations of Earth, except those on the Equator, do have almost equal day and night twice a year. The dates for this event, which is also known as equilux, depend on the location's latitude and can be a few days before or after the equinoxes — a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us.
The equinox whimsically begs the question of whether the Sun is aware of the depths its light reaches or not. It is an era of green renewal as though the Earth is gasping for air and then draws its breath, and then afterwards it transitions into an era of golden freedom as though the Earth has exhaled its leaves over the freezing waters. The March equinox is a reminder of the beauty that is also within us, interlocking paradoxes.
Photo from: NASA.
The Earth is thawing.
The Earth is deepening its grasses in greens. As the ground grows softer beneath you, how are you embracing the changing seasons? This March equinox, how are you celebrating the sun’s angle?
The Earth's position in relation to the Sun during the planet's yearly rotation around the nearest star determines our astronomical seasons. The start of spring varies depending on whether the discussion is about the meteorological or astronomical start.
To explain, the phenomenon where the Sun crosses the equator from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere happens on March 19, 20, or 21 every year. It is called the “March equinox”, which marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the dates for Passover and Easter in both Judaism and Christianity. Since the Meiji era, it has been observed as a national holiday in Japan along with the September equinox. It is a period when spirits transition to enlightenment for Buddhists, and it is also the Iranians' New Year's celebration of Nowruz, which dates back more than three millennia.
It marks the New Year of our ancestors - the circling of the Sun above our equator; it signifies both the metaphorical and literal astronomical changes. It is an experience of day and night of equal lengths — 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night time in a moment of balance between light and darkness. It is an evidence of how the Earth shakes off the snow off its shoulders but its shoes catch its avalanche, how the Earth’s head reveal under the Sun but its bare feet cover themselves from the cold. It marks a different beginning for the south. A massive paradox.
To them, it is the season of release as opposed to the north’s moment of rebirth. To them it marks how stronger the bite of the wind has become. To them, it is a question of how beautiful the last breath of summer was.
To everyone, it is an answer to consistent change. Spring and autumn decided to break tradition this year and tiptoed fashionably early on March 19th, rather than the usual 20th or 21st. What wonderful twist of fate caused this celestial punctuality?
Because 2024 is a leap year, we are extending the calendar an extra day, which caused the March equinox to fall one day early. 2025 and 2026 should see March 20 return to its usual position. 2020 saw it arrive on March 19 at 11:50 PM (EDT), the earliest "first day of spring" since 1896 which staggered everyone. But this year, at 11:06 PM (EDT), it began even sooner.
Photo from Unsplash by: Boris Smokrovic.