The spring equinox is considered the astronomical beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere. In 2018, this will happen 19 hours and 15 minutes Moscow time on March 20. At this moment, the sun will cross the equator and go from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere, and the day will be equal to the night.
The day of the spring equinox for the ancient people had a mystical meaning. It was believed that on this day comes the spring, and in the world light begins to prevail over the darkness. Slavs celebrated the holiday “Komoditsa”, where they celebrated the gaining strength of the sun. For the Germans, the day of the vernal equinox coincided with the celebration of the day of the spring goddess Ostara. From that day on, counting began for various works in the field and the garden. In some countries on the day of the Vernal Equinox celebrate the New Year.
On the day of the spring equinox in the early 70s of the XX century, a group of students from Harvard University, led by D. Hayes, began to celebrate Earth Day. The purpose of this action is to draw the attention of the general public to the fragility of the ecosystem of our planet.