Long considered a time of renewal, the arrival—or the impending arrival—of spring triggers many customs. Many people around the world consider spring to be the re-awakening of “Mother Earth” from her long winter slumber.
In Greek mythology, this awakening and the change of seasons are explained in the myth involving Demeter, Persephone, and Hades. Demeter was the goddess of agriculture and fertility; Persephone was her daughter, and Hades was the god of the underworld. Persephone was beautiful and Hades wanted her to be his queen. Long story short, Persephone lived with Hades for six months out of the year and with her mother for six months. While Persephone was in Hades, Demeter wept, was depressed, and crops died and withered, thus leading to fall and winter. When Persephone was with Demeter on Mt. Olympus, all was well, and plants and crops flourished, bringing spring and summer. (Interesting note: The equivalent Roman goddess of the harvest was Ceres—from which we get “cereal.”)
We now know that seasons are dictated by the tilt of the earth. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological spring starts on March 1. That said, spring does not really start here until the Vernal Equinox on March 19 (when the sun is exactly above the equator and day and night are of equal length).
The warm weather triggers the blooming of crocuses and daffodils (even through the snow) and the forsythia start to bloom. Tree sap starts to flow (it’s maple sugaring time!) and leaves start to emerge (along with pollen).
In the United States, the arrival of spring also heralds the arrival of SPRING CLEANING! We scrub, sweep, and polish up our house and open windows to air the house out. If we’re so inclined, we even hang our blankets, spreads, and comforters out the window (but not under the flight path of geese!) to get that fresh spring scent!
We start to put away the heavy winter clothes and get out our lighter, brighter spring and summer outfits.
We wash all the winter dirt and debris off our cars and clean and vacuum the interior until everything shines!
We also start cleaning up the yard debris from the winter storms and get the lawnmowers and trimmers ready for the mowing season.
We also get the urge to plant flowers and spend much time, money, and effort to purchase and plant new flowers to brighten up our houses—only to have to repurchase the flowers in May AFTER that pesky last frost hits us! Maybe there is some truth to the old saying, “Don’t do your spring planting until after Mother’s Day!”
Another sign of spring is the opening of the baseball season! Whether you go to Florida or Arizona to watch the aptly named “spring training” or wait until your local major or minor league team starts to play locally, baseball is a true harbinger of spring.
We also see people dusting off their walking or running shoes and bikes to get outside in the fresh air. Our moods lift as we spend more time outside in the sun.
There is just something about the lush, green fields around us in the Lehigh Valley that puts people in a good state of mind.
Spring also means that our local pools will be opening soon! We start thinking and dreaming about our summer vacation—time to go down the shore or beach, depending on where we like to hit the lake or ocean or stream or river or tributary or pond.
And let us not forget those wonderful ice cream, snack, pizza, and burgie places that put their tables and chairs out to welcome us to indulge our al fresco dining fantasies. So, welcome Spring 2024—Enjoy all of it!
