In the 21st century, those living in western civilization are far removed from jungles, the plains and the tundra. So why is the equinox important to us today? Called the first day of spring, the vernal equinox—when day and night are equal in length all over the world—occurs this year on March 19.
At equinox, the sun crosses directly over the equator and as the Earth orbits, it tilts neither away from the sun nor towards it. Because the equinox is based on the Earth's movement around the sun, there's a three-day window in which it can occur—as early as March 19, like this year, and as late as March 21.
HOW IT RELATES TODAY
But why do we take an interest in the equinox? Could be because we humans, going back to the Egyptians, the Maya, and Polynesians for starters, have always been stargazers. Early on in our coming of age, the ancients made up stories about the night sky and the constellations. Today we still gaze at the same sky but with more oomph—we send out advanced satellites, telescopes and rovers to retrieve information from the stars, the planets and far-away galaxies. We're writing scientific documents—basically new stories—extolling what lies outside our atmosphere.
Even in today’s high-tech world, we still celebrate the importance of the relationship between our sun and planet Earth. In agrarian times, spring was ushered in by the equinox which meant it was time to plant; at the autumnal equinox it was time to harvest. That may not seem so important to us today, but have you ever wondered why Easter is a floating date rather than fixed?
EASTER
Easter today, as in pagan times, is the first Sunday following the first full moon that occurs after the spring equinox. This year that full moon is March 25 and Easter falls on March 31. As sophisticated as we are with technology at our fingertips, we still follow traditions that originated when humans were hunter-gatherers. Though we may think the equinox has no influence on us, like it or not we're rooted in a pagan cycle of historic events due to the timing of that celestial occurrence.
Because the spring equinox has ties to Easter, Christianity's important event, many believe it centers on not only the Earth's waking call from a dark winter, but also the universal theme of resurrection.
CHICHEN ITZA AND THE EQUINOX
One of the most famous equinox ceremonies in North America takes place at the Maya pyramid site at Chichen Itza in Mexico. Around 4 p.m. the sun casts a remarkable shadow onto the most prestigious of the pyramids there, Temple of K’uk’ulkan (Feathered Serpent). Due to the sun's position in the sky and the building's position thanks to precise mathematical calculations prefigured by the Maya more than a millennia ago, a shadow slithers down the staircase, ending at the bottom on the tip of a serpent's mouth. This feat was made possible by their ability as naked eye astronomers to calculate the sun's effects on the Earth at equinox.
In the Maya world many buildings are built to specifications that coincide with the equinox. Some scholars believe the importance placed on it relates to the resurrection of the Maize God, Hunahpu, and the turning from winter's darkness towards the light of spring, ushering in planting time. The fall equinox then pays homage to the harvest.
WORLDWIDE RECOGNITION
On the other side of the globe in Egypt, the equinox also represents a time of resurrection for the god Osiris. Because of this it's said the Great Sphinx of Giza is positioned to look directly at the rising sun on spring equinox. In Cambodia, scholars say the equinox represents the winning of forces of light over darkness, so the main temple at Angkor Wat also aligns with the equinox sun.
A certain theme continues to be played out with the equinox in the myths of the world—rebirth, awakening, and light overcoming darkness—exactly what takes place as Earth tilts into spring.
So even though we're entrenched in this modern world, uber-connected through smart phones, computers, all forms of social media, and now AI, it's important to remember there's a bigger picture out there and it affects all humanity on our green Earth. It is a thing as simple as how the sun and Earth relate, two days a year, on the equinox.
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Such an insightful article, Jeanine! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and learning new things! 🌎🌞🌷🥙🐣
The Maya knew more about the Earth and its place in the solar system than most of us do. But now we’re a bit better educated thanks to your article…