Vernal Equinox

The Vernal Equinox (Spring Equinox) is derived from the Latin terms “ver” meaning spring, “aequus” meaning equal, and “nox” meaning night. It is celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere between March 20th and March 22nd and in the Southern Hemisphere between September 21st and September 23rd. The dates are derived from the Gregorian calendar and these dates may not hold true if one follows a lunar calendar, since the Gregorian calendar is a Solar Calendar. The Vernal Equinox marks the time of year when the Sun can be observed directly above the Earth’s Equator which leads way for the day seeming equal in both light and darkness. It is also observed as the first point of Aries within the astrological calendar marking when the Sun enters into the astrological sign of Aries. On the Vernal Equinox, the Sun rises at the same time all over the world which is normally around 6:00 am and sets around 6:00 pm, however one must take in account that the world is divided into time zones and this fact must be calculated to determine the correct time for the Vernal Equinox to occur in your part of the world.

Some neo-pagans refer to this Sabbat as Ostara (Eostar), but this term was used by Aiden Kelly to denote the feast of spring and is disregarded by most Traditionalists as inaccurate because the term Eostar, from which Ostara derives its name, refers to the Goddess Eostar and not the feast of spring. In fact, Easter is derived from the name of this Goddess.

The celebration of Earth Day was normally celebrated on the Vernal Equinox, but has since been moved to April 22nd in many countries around the world.