SPRING EQUINOX

The spring equinox is a cross-quarter festival halfway between Imbolc and Beltane, celebrated when day and night are equal again, which usually also corresponds to the generally accepted beginning of spring. Often the first hints of spring's return have been showing up since Imbolc, but by the time the equinox happens, the springtime weather is winning out over the winter in most temperate northern hemisphere climates. The old folk adage says that March, when the equinox occurs, "comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," and often by the time this festival comes, the lamb-like weather has set in. We celebrate the progress of the year and the ever-lengthening days, looking forward to even warmer days and the greening of the earth. Customs that are common in America such as dyeing eggs and the associated "bunny" symbolism associated with Easter have distinctly Pagan origins, as does the word "Easter" itself, and are excellent ways for Pagan folk to celebrate the spring.

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