| From a technical standpoint the Vernal Equinox is an | | | | important to ancient cultures in choosing a time to plant |
| astronomical event, it's one of the four quadrature | | | | their crops. In Iran they celebrate Norouz (which |
| days of the Earth's orbit. However for people both | | | | roughly translates to "new day") on the Vernal Equinox. |
| modern and ancient, the Vernal Equinox marked the | | | | In China they celebrate Chunfen on the Vernal Equinox. |
| transition from winter into spring. The Vernal Equinox | | | | In ancient Europe they celebrated the arrival of the |
| occurs on March 20th or 21st and is one of two days | | | | goddess of spring Ostara on this day. Ostara was |
| during the year when there are 12 hours of daylight | | | | also known as Ostera and Eostre in different parts of |
| and 12 hours of darkness, the other day is the | | | | Europe. Many historians believe the Christian holiday |
| Autumnal Equinox. | | | | Easter gets its name from Eostre, as she had an |
| People have been marking and celebrating the Vernal | | | | enchanted rabbit that could lay eggs. In more modern |
| Equinox for thousands of years. The Great Sphinx | | | | times the Vernal Equinox marked the first Earth Day |
| which was constructed over 4500 years ago on the | | | | celebration in 1971. |
| Giza Plateau in Egypt, faces due east on the Vernal | | | | One of the odd traditions that that occur on the Vernal |
| Equinox. The monoliths located at Stonehenge, which | | | | Equinox is egg balancing. The story goes that it is |
| are estimated to be over 3000 years old, mark the | | | | possible to balance a raw egg on its oblong end on this |
| position of the rising sun on the Vernal Equinox. In | | | | day. There is no truth to this rumor it's just as easy (or |
| Central America the Ancient Mayan Caracol Tower | | | | hard) to balance an egg on its end on this day as it is |
| and Temples of the Sun and Moon also have | | | | any other day. This story is perpetuated by the media |
| alignments that coincide with the sun's position on the | | | | who usually run a small segment on it, during news |
| Vernal Equinox. | | | | shows on this day. |
| Most historians believe that this knowledge was | | | | This article is © Copyright Holiday-Central. |