THE seasonal patterns were largely forgotten in 2020, with the UK spending much of the year confined to its homes by the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the roadmap out of lockdown indicating normality is on the horizon, the arrival of spring is even more exciting than usual as the nation’s mood becomes more hopeful of a great few months ahead.
But the spring season actually has two different start dates in the UK and has split opinion, it all depends on how you calculate it.
Here’s how it all works, and what you need to know about the Vernal equinox.
Meteorological vs astronomical spring
What is named the first day of spring depends on whether you are using the meteorological or astronomical definition of the seasons.
The meteorological is arguably the simpler to understand as it splits the year into four seasons of three full months each based on the Gregorian calendar, making it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics.
This is the more widely understood concept as it means every year spring begins on March 1 and lasts until May 31, with summer beginning on June 1.
However, the astronomical season is less straightforward as it depends on the date of the spring equinox, which means the date can vary slightly from year to year and tends to arrive later.
In 2021, the spring, or vernal, equinox falls on Saturday, March 20. This is the most common date for the phenomenon, although it can fall any time between the 19th and 21st of the month.
The astronomical spring will then last until the summer solstice, which in 2021 lands on Monday 21 June and is the ‘longest day of the year’, having the most daylight hours.
How equinoxes work
The Equinox gets its name from the Latin term for “equal night” and marks one of two points in the year when the equator is the closest part of Earth to the sun, around March 20.
The other similar date is around September 22 which is the autumn equinox.
These dates occur between the summer and winter solstices marking the point the Sun crosses the equator's path and becomes positioned exactly above the equator between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
During the equinox, day and night will be about the same length, however, the spring equinox marks the beginning of spring and from this day forward the day is longer than the night.
The autumnal and spring equinoxes mark the point when the two hemispheres swap over, while the summer and winter solstices denote the sun reaching its most northerly and southerly points.
The solstices are widely renowned to be rooted in ritualistic tradition and celebration but they also carry meaning for people too.
Early civilisations found the spring equinox to be a reliable way to keep track of the seasons, with cultures today paying tribute as their ancestors used to.
In the UK, Stonehenge is the most famous meeting point for druids and pagans, who traditionally gather annually to watch dawn break with celebration to mark the occasion.
When do the clocks go forward?
A key date many look forward to in spring is the beginning of British Summer Time.
This year the date falls on Sunday, March 28 – so prepare those clocks.
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