My family and I decided to celebrate the vernal equinox, more commonly referred to as the first day of spring. After a long, cold and snow filled winter, we gladly rejoiced on Saturday. We rode bikes and played tennis, football and baseball. We spent time at the playground, walked our dog and ended the day with a celebratory meal reflecting on all the things we are thankful for – especially winter coming to an end!
I recently finished a fabulous book, encouraging one to remember their victories as they serve to build confidence. They also suggested celebrating victories. Given my propensity for celebrations, I’m in implementation mode! I declared to my husband last week, let’s celebrate the four seasons. After a winter of over 70 inches of snow, my family was willing to humor me. We plan to celebrate the first day of each season.
Fun Seasonal Facts for Your Children
Earth continually moves. It takes one year for it to orbit the sun and it rotates on its own axis every 24 hours or 1 day which causes day and night. The earth is tilted 23.5 degrees. If the earth was not tilted, there would be no seasons or differences in daylight. The tilt of the Earth’s axis and its revolution around the sun creates different cycles in a year, called seasons.
The following seasonal information is relevant to the Northern Hemisphere:
- The vernal equinox occurs on March 20th or 21st when the sun is positioned directly over the equator and the hours of daylight and darkness are equivalent.
- The summer solstice occurs on June 20th or 21st which is the first day of summer. This day contains the most daylight.
- The autumnal equinox occurs on September 22nd or 23rd and is similar to the vernal equinox in that the hours of daylight and darkness are equal because the sun is positioned above the equator.
- The winter solstice occurs on December 21st or 22nd which is the first day of winter. This day contains the least amount of sunlight.
Source: Ronan, Colin A. “Seasons.” The New Book of Knowledge. 2010. Grolier Online. 22 Mar. 2010
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