Daylight Savings Time and the Religious Connection

The Connection of the Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox, also known as the Vernal Equinox, is an event which occurs in the Northern Hemisphere of the World during the month of March. While the equinox may occur on a different date in March, it is consistently a March celebration involving more than just a change in daylight savings time. For many countries and cultures, the Vernal Equinox marks a time of celebration, with most making a connection to a religious period in times past.

In the simplest of terms, the equinox is the time of the year, occurring twice, when the Sun can be found in equal positions, both above and then below, the horizon. When the Vernal equinox occurs, in the Northern Hemisphere, the hours of day light are significantly greater than the hours of night. There are really no differences in the Spring Equinox and the Autumn Equinox, in the Northern Hemisphere, except the two events occur at six month intervals; one in spring and one in the fall with a flipping change in our clocks, from daylight savings time and back.

For cultural and religious groups, the Vernal Equinox marks the beginning of a new calendar year; such is the case for Iran. It is during the two weeks after the March equinox that festivities take place to commemorate, or celebrate, the rise of the Persian King to the throne, as told by Persian mythology. In fact, the spring equinox is of such importance in the Middle East that some Arabian countries use the equinox to honor and celebrate Mother's Day.

Under Christian belief, the Vernal Equinox marks the date on which to establish Easter as it is the passing of the Vernal equinox, followed by a full moon, on which the date which Christians mark the passing of the full moon and then Easter on the first Sunday after.