Spring, also known asspringtime, is one of the fourtemperateseasons, succeedingwinter and precedingsummer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. When it is spring in theNorthern Hemisphere, it isautumn in theSouthern Hemisphere and vice versa. At the springequinox, also called the vernal equinox,days and nights are approximately twelve hours long, with daytime length increasing and nighttime length decreasing as the season progresses until the summersolstice. The spring equinox is in March in the Northern Hemisphere and in September in the Southern Hemisphere, while the summer solstice is in June in the Northern Hemisphere and in December in the Southern Hemisphere.
Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth.Subtropical andtropical areas have climates better described in terms of other seasons, e.g. dry or wet, monsoonal or cyclonic. Cultures may have local names for seasons which have little equivalence to the terms originating in Europe.
Etymology
According to theOnline Etymological Dictionary, "spring" in the sense of the season comes from phrases such as "springing time" (14th century) and "the spring of the year". This use is from an archaic noun meaning "act or time of springing or appearing; the first appearance; the beginning, birth, rise, or origin". Spring as a word in general appeared via theMiddle Englishspringen, via theOld Englishspringan. These were verbs meaning to rise up or to burst forth, (see also the modern Germanspringen 'jump') and are not believed to have originally related to the season. These all originate fromProto-Germanic *sprenganan.[1]
Meteorologists generally define four seasons in many climatic areas: spring, summer, autumn (fall), and winter. These are determined by the values of their average temperatures on a monthly basis, with each season lasting three calendar months. The three warmest months are by definitionsummer, the three coldest months arewinter, and the intervening gaps are spring andautumn. Meteorological spring can therefore, start on different dates in different regions.
InSweden, meteorologists define the beginning of spring as the first occasion on which the average 24 hours temperature exceeds zero degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days, thus the date varies with latitude and elevation (but no earlier than 15 February, and no later than 31 July).[6]
In the Northern Hemisphere (with countries such as Germany, the United States, Canada, and the UK),[12] solar reckoning was traditionally used with the solstices and equinoxes representing the midpoints of each season, however, the astronomicalvernal equinox (varying between 19 and 21 March) can be taken to mark the first day of spring with thesummer solstice (around 21 June) marked as first day of summer. Bysolar reckoning, Spring is held to begin 1 February until the first day of Summer onMay Day, with the summer and winter solstices being marked asMidsummer andMidwinter respectively, instead of as the beginning of the season as is the case with astronomical reckoning.
In Persian culture the first day of spring is the first day of the first month (calledFarvardin) which begins on 20 or 21 March.
The spring season inIndia is culturally in the months of March and April, with an average temperature of approx 32 °C.[15] Some people in India especially from Karnataka state celebrate their new year in spring,Ugadi.
Ecological reckoning
The beginning of spring is not always determined by fixed calendar dates. Thephenological orecological definition of spring relates to biological indicators, such as the blossoming of a range of plant species, the activities of animals, and the special smell of soil that has reached the temperature for microflora to flourish. These indicators, along with the beginning of spring, vary according to the localclimate and according to the specificweather of a particular year.[citation needed] In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, theNational Trust runs the #BlossomWatch campaign, which encourages people to share images of blossom with one another, as an early indicator of the arrival of the season.[16]
Some ecologists divide the year into six seasons. In addition to spring, ecological reckoning identifies an earlier separate prevernal (early or pre-spring) season between the hibernal (winter) and vernal (spring) seasons. This is a time when only the hardiest flowers like the crocus are in bloom, sometimes while there is still some snowcover on the ground.[17]
Natural events
As a result ofglobal warming, average springtime temperatures have risen in the 48 contiguous US states since the middle of the 20th century.[18]Hundreds ofsour cherry blooming inExtremadura,Spain, during springLate April in theAlps. At high elevations[19] (or latitudes),[20] spring is often the snowiest period of the year.Awillow inStockholm in April 2016Sowing at spring inEstoniaBlooming trees ofCherry blossom inJapan
During early spring, the axis of theEarth is increasing its tilt relative to the Sun, and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. The hemisphere begins to warm significantly, causing new plant growth to "spring forth", giving the season its name.[21]
Anysnow begins to melt, swelling streams withrunoff and anyfrosts become less severe. In climates that have no snow, and rare frosts, air and ground temperatures increase more rapidly.
Many flowering plants bloom at this time of year, in a long succession, sometimes beginning when snow is still on the ground and continuing into early summer.[22] In normally snowless areas, "spring" may begin as early as February (Northern Hemisphere) or August (Southern Hemisphere), heralded by the blooming of deciduous magnolias, cherries, and quince.[23] Many temperate areas have a dry spring, and wet autumn (fall), which brings about flowering in this season, more consistent with the need for water, as well as warmth.Subarctic areas may not experience "spring" at all until May.
While spring is a result of the warmth caused by the changing orientation of the Earth's axis relative to the Sun, the weather in many parts of the world is affected by other, less predictable events. The rainfall in spring (or any season) follows trends more related to longer cycles—such as thesolar cycle—or events created by ocean currents and ocean temperatures—for example, theEl Niño effect and theSouthern Oscillation Index.
Unstable spring weather may occur more often when warm air begins to invade from lowerlatitudes, while cold air is still pushing from thePolar regions. Flooding is also most common in and near mountainous areas during this time of year, because of snow-melt which is accelerated by warm rains. In North America,Tornado Alley is most active at this time of year, especially since theRocky Mountains prevent the surging hot and cold air masses from spreading eastward, and instead force them into direct conflict. Besidestornadoes,supercell thunderstorms can also produce dangerously largehail and very high winds, for which asevere thunderstorm warning ortornado warning is usually issued. Even more so than in winter, thejet streams play an important role in unstable and severe Northern Hemisphere weather in springtime.[24]
In recent decades,season creep has been observed, which means that manyphenological signs of spring are occurring earlier in many regions by around two days per decade.[citation needed]
Spring in the Southern Hemisphere is different[how?] in several significant ways to that of the Northern Hemisphere for several reasons, including:
There is no land bridge betweenSouthern Hemisphere countries and theAntarctic zone capable of bringing in cold air without the temperature-mitigating effects of extensive tracts of water;
The vastly greater amount of ocean in the Southern Hemisphere at most latitudes;
There is a circumpolar flow of air (the roaring 40s and 50s) uninterrupted by large land masses;
No equivalent jet streams; and
The peculiarities of the reversing ocean currents in the Pacific.[25]
Carnival is practiced by manyChristians around the world in the days beforeLent (40 days, without Sundays, before Easter). It is the first spring festival of the new year for many.[26]
Easter is the most important religious feast in the Christianliturgical year.[27]Christians believe thatJesus wasresurrected from the dead on the "third day"[note 1] (two daysafter hiscrucifixion), and celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day, two days afterGood Friday. Since theLast Supper was aPassover Seder, the date of Easter can be calculated as the first Sunday after the start of Passover. This is usually (seePassover below) the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. The date ofEaster varies between 22 March and 25 April (which corresponds to between 4 April and 8 May in theGregorian Calendar for theEastern andOriental Orthodox Churches using theJulian Calendar). In this celebration, the children do an easter egg hunt.
The First of May is the date of manypublic holidays.[28] In many countries, May Day is synonymous withInternational Workers' Day, orLabour Day, which celebrates the social and economic achievements of thelabour movement. As a day of celebration, the holiday has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times. Many of these customs are due to May Day being across-quarter day, meaning that (in theNorthern Hemisphere where it is almost exclusively celebrated) it falls approximately halfway between thespring equinox andsummer solstice. In the Celtic tradition, this date marked the end of spring and the beginning of summer.
The Passover begins on the 15th day of the month ofNisan, which typically falls in March or April of theGregorian calendar on the night of afull moon after the northernspring equinox.[29] However, due toleap months falling after the vernal equinox, Passover sometimes starts on the second full moon after vernal equinox, as in 2016. Jewish people celebrate this holiday to commemorate their escape from slavery inEgypt as described in the book ofExodus in theTorah.Foods consumed duringPassover seders, such as lamb and barley, are tied to springtime seasonal availability. In this celebration, children recite theFour Questions during the seder and hunt for theafikoman afterwards.
^This resurrection is commonly said to have occurred "on the third day after resting for the Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown), including the day of crucifixion." (e.g. Luke 24:21 KJV)
^Anthony Aveni, "The Easter/Passover Season: Connecting Time's Broken Circle",The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 64–78.
^Anthony Aveni, "May Day: A Collision of Forces",The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays (Oxford:Oxford University Press, 2004), 79–89.
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