Is It Springtime Yet?

 

Did you know that there are four acknowledged First Days of Spring?  Today, the first of September, is only one of them.   It is the Meteorological Date, created by breaking up the four seasons into four three-monthly periods according to the Gregorian calendar, and is commonly used to make it easier to compare notes between different years.

Astronomically, the seasons change with the solstices and equinoxes.  Spring therefore is counted as beginning on the day of the Vernal Equinox, which this year (in New Zealand) falls on 23 September.

Another viewpoint is that Solar Winter covers the three months with the least amount of available sunshine, with Winter Solstice being in the middle, meaning that Solar Spring would begin in early August.  I found it interesting to note this year that that was when the blackbirds and sparrows began nesting.

Still others will follow the cycle of Mother Nature, trusting that she will know when the time is right for trees to burst their buds or birds to begin nesting.  There is a whole system devoted to gardening this way, known as phenology, where plants are set out according to what nature is doing.  In New Zealand, a common example of this is found in the belief that when the shrubby kumarahou begins to flower it is time to begin planting the kumara crop.

To me, the seasons are not static.  Sometimes our autumn is incredibly short yet at other times it can last for ages, spring often appears to be the same as winter although we have more daylight and sometimes the days are warmer.  Summer can be cool and wet, or hot and very dry.  Some areas of the world experience long winters or long summers, while ours are usually reasonably short.

So, which system is correct?  I guess it all comes down to personal preference and what you wish to obtain from acknowledging the passing of each different season.  This year, I am trying to appreciate all of them and the little joys that each season can bring.

Stay safe 😊

Margaret