Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four
temperate seasons, succeeding
winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...
and preceding
summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. When it is spring in the
Northern Hemisphere, it is
autumn in the
Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. At the spring (or vernal)
equinox
A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and se ...
,
days and nights are approximately twelve hours long, with daytime length increasing and nighttime length decreasing as the season progresses until the Summer Solstice in June (Northern Hemisphere) and December (Southern Hemisphere).
Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth.
Subtropical and
tropical areas have climates better described in terms of other seasons, e.g. dry or wet, monsoonal or cyclonic. Cultures may have local names for seasons which have little equivalence to the terms originating in Europe.
Meteorological reckoning
Meteorologists generally define four seasons in many climatic areas: spring, summer, autumn (fall), and winter. These are determined by the values of their average temperatures on a monthly basis, with each season lasting three months. The three warmest months are by definition
summer, the three coldest months are
winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...
, and the intervening gaps are spring and
autumn. Meteorological spring can therefore, start on different dates in different regions.
In the
US and
UK, spring months are March, April, and May.
In
Australia and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, spring begins on 22nd or 23rd of September and ends on 21 December.
In
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, following the
Gaelic calendar, spring is often defined as February, March, and April.
In
Sweden, meteorologists define the beginning of spring as the first occasion on which the average 24 hours temperature exceeds zero degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days, thus the date varies with latitude and elevation.
In
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, spring months are September, October, November.
Astronomical and solar reckoning
In the Northern Hemisphere (e.g. Germany, the United States, Canada, and the UK), the astronomical
vernal equinox (varying between 19 and 21 March) can be taken to mark the first day of spring with the
summer solstice (around 21 June) marked as first day of summer. By solar reckoning, Spring is held to begin 1 February until the first day of Summer on
May Day
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Tr ...
, with the summer solstice being marked as
Midsummer
Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer usually held at a date around the summer solstice. It has pagan pre-Christian roots in Europe.
The undivided Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Christian martyr ...
instead of the beginning of Summer as with astronomical reckoning.
In Persian culture the first day of spring is the first day of the first month (called
Farvardin) which begins on 20 or 21 March.
In the
traditional Chinese calendar, the
"spring" season () consists of the days between
Lichun
Traditional Chinese calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. ''Lìchūn'', ''Risshun'', ''Ipchun'', or ''Lập xuân'' is the 1st solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 315° and ends when it reaches the long ...
(3–5 February), taking
Chunfen
The traditional Chinese calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. ''Chūnfēn'', ''Shunbun'', ''Chunbun'', or ''Xuân phân'' is the 4th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 0° and ends when it reaches the ...
(20–22 March) as its midpoint, then ending at
Lixia (5–7 May). Similarly, according to the
Celtic tradition, which is based solely on daylight and the strength of the noon sun, spring begins in early February (near
Imbolc
Imbolc or Imbolg (), also called Saint Brigid's Day ( ga, Lá Fhéile Bríde; gd, Là Fhèill Brìghde; gv, Laa'l Breeshey), is a Gaelic traditional festival. It marks the beginning of spring, and for Christians it is the feast day of Saint B ...
or
Candlemas) and continues until early May (
Beltane
Beltane () is the Gaelic May Day festival. Commonly observed on the first of May, the festival falls midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The festival name is synonymous with the month marking the ...
).
The spring season in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
is culturally in the months of March and April, with an average temperature of approx 32 °C. Some people in India especially from Karnataka state celebrate their new year in spring,
Ugadi
Ugadi or Yugadi, also known as Samvatsarādi (), is New Year's Day according to the Hindu calendar and is celebrated in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka in India. It is festively observed in these regions on the first ...
.
Ecological reckoning
The beginning of spring is not always determined by fixed calendar dates. The
phenological or
ecological
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
definition of spring relates to biological indicators, such as the blossoming of a range of plant species, the activities of animals, and the special smell of soil that has reached the temperature for micro
flora to flourish. These indicators, along with the beginning of spring, vary according to the local
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...
and according to the specific
weather of a particular year. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the
National Trust runs the #
BlossomWatch campaign, which encourages people to share images of blossom with one another, as an early indicator of the arrival of the season.
Some ecologists divide the year into six seasons. In addition to spring, ecological reckoning identifies an earlier separate prevernal (early or pre-spring) season between the hibernal (winter) and vernal (spring) seasons. This is a time when only the hardiest flowers like the crocus are in bloom, sometimes while there is still some snowcover on the ground.
Natural events
During early spring, the axis of the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
is increasing its tilt relative to the Sun, and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. The hemisphere begins to warm significantly, causing new plant growth to "spring forth," giving the season its name.
Any
snow begins to melt, swelling streams with
runoff and any
frosts become less severe. In climates that have no snow, and rare frosts, air and ground temperatures increase more rapidly.
Many flowering plants bloom at this time of year, in a long succession, sometimes beginning when snow is still on the ground and continuing into early summer. In normally snowless areas, "spring" may begin as early as February (Northern Hemisphere) or August (Southern Hemisphere), heralded by the blooming of deciduous magnolias, cherries, and quince. Many temperate areas have a dry spring, and wet autumn (fall), which brings about flowering in this season, more consistent with the need for water, as well as warmth.
Subarctic areas may not experience "spring" at all until May.
While spring is a result of the warmth caused by the changing orientation of the Earth's axis relative to the Sun, the weather in many parts of the world is affected by other, less predictable events. The rainfall in spring (or any season) follows trends more related to longer cycles—such as the
solar cycle—or events created by ocean currents and ocean temperatures—for example, the
El Niño
El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date ...
effect and the
Southern Oscillation Index
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, ...
.
Unstable spring weather may occur more often when warm air begins to invade from lower
latitudes, while cold air is still pushing from the
Polar regions. Flooding is also most common in and near mountainous areas during this time of year, because of snow-melt which is accelerated by warm rains. In North America,
Tornado Alley is most active at this time of year, especially since the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...
prevent the surging hot and cold air masses from spreading eastward, and instead force them into direct conflict. Besides
tornadoes,
supercell thunderstorms can also produce dangerously large
hail and very high winds, for which a
severe thunderstorm warning
A severe thunderstorm warning ( SAME code: SVR) is a severe weather warning product issued by regional offices of weather forecasting agencies throughout the world to alert the public that severe thunderstorms are imminent or occurring.
A sev ...
or
tornado warning
A tornado warning ( SAME code: TOR) is a severe weather warning product issued by regional offices of weather forecasting agencies throughout the world to alert the public when a tornado has been reported or indicated by weather radar within the ...
is usually issued. Even more so than in winter, the
jet streams play an important role in unstable and severe Northern Hemisphere weather in springtime.
In recent decades,
season creep has been observed, which means that many
phenological signs of spring are occurring earlier in many regions by around two days per decade.
Spring in the Southern Hemisphere is different in several significant ways to that of the Northern Hemisphere for several reasons, including:
#There is no land bridge between
Southern Hemisphere countries and the
Antarctic zone capable of bringing in cold air without the temperature-mitigating effects of extensive tracts of water;
#The vastly greater amount of ocean in the Southern Hemisphere at most latitudes;
#There is a circumpolar flow of air (''
the roaring 40s and 50s'') uninterrupted by large land masses;
#No equivalent jet streams; and
#The peculiarities of the reversing ocean currents in the Pacific.
Cultural associations
Carnival
Carnival is practiced by many
Christians around the world in the days before
Lent (40 days, without Sundays, before Easter). It is the first spring festival of the new year for many.
Easter
Easter is the most important religious feast in the Christian
liturgical year.
Christians believe that
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
was
resurrected from the dead on the "third day"
[This resurrection is commonly said to have occurred "on the third day after resting for the Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown), including the day of crucifixion." (e.g. Luke 24:21 KJV)] (two days ''after'' his
crucifixion), and celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day, two days after
Good Friday. Since the
Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
was a
Passover Seder, the date of Easter can be calculated as the first Sunday after the start of Passover. This is usually (see
Passover below) the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. The date of
Easter varies between 22 March and 25 April (which corresponds to between 4 April and 8 May in the
Gregorian Calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
for the
Eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
and
Oriental Orthodox Churches using the
Julian Calendar
The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandr ...
). In this celebration, the children do an easter egg hunt.
May Day
The First of May is the date of many
public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with
International Workers' Day, or
Labour Day, which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the
labour movement. As a day of celebration, the holiday has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times. Many of these customs are due to May Day being a
cross-quarter day, meaning that (in the
Northern Hemisphere where it is almost exclusively celebrated) it falls approximately halfway between the
spring equinox and
summer solstice. In the Celtic tradition, this date marked the end of spring and the beginning of summer.
Passover
The Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of
Nisan, which typically falls in March or April of the
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
on the night of a
full moon after the northern
spring equinox.
However, due to
leap months falling after the vernal equinox, Passover sometimes starts on the second full moon after vernal equinox, as in 2016. Jews celebrate this holiday to commemorate their escape from slavery in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
as described in the book of
Exodus in the
Torah.
Foods consumed during
Passover seders, such as lamb and barley, are tied to springtime seasonal availability. In this celebration, children recite the
Four Questions during the seder and hunt for the
afikoman
Afikoman ( Mishnaic Hebrew: אֲפִיקִימוֹן ''ʾăpîqîmôn'';So spelled and vocalized in de Rossi 138 (Parma A) and Kaufmann A50; also spelled in the Cambridge manuscript and by the "Rabbi Jehoseph" cited by Adeni. Modern pronunciatio ...
afterwards.
Allhallowtide
The
Western Christian
Western Christianity is one of two sub-divisions of Christianity (Eastern Christianity being the other). Western Christianity is composed of the Latin Church and Western Protestantism, together with their offshoots such as the Old Catholic ...
season encompassing the
triduum of All Saints' Eve (
Halloween),
All Saints' Day (All Hallows') and
All Souls' Day
All Souls' Day, also called ''The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed'', is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, observed by certain Christian denominations on 2 November. Through prayer, intercessions, alms and ...
are observed in the spring in the
Southern hemisphere.
See also
Notes
References
External links
Word LoreOnline Etymology DictionaryGlossary of MeteorologySolstice, Equinox & Cross-Quarter Moments for 2011 and other years, for several time zonesEarth's Seasons, Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion, 2000–2020(from the
United States Naval Observatory's Astronomical Applications Department)
Seasons and Seasonal Cusps as Pagan and Religious Holidays(fro
Archaeoastronomy)
What day does spring start?(BBC, UK News Magazine)
Status of Spring– Maps of Spring Leaf and Bloom Indices for the United States
*
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