When is the spring equinox in 2026 - traditions and beliefs

Tomorrow is the vernal equinox. This is not only a great astronomical event, but also the oldest agricultural holiday, common in many countries around the world. In ancient times, the vernal equinox was a real New Year and the beginning of a true spring, when all living things awaken and a new agricultural cycle begins - writes UNN.

Details

On this day, the duration of day and night is practically the same all over the Earth and is about 12 hours. For the Northern Hemisphere, where Ukraine is located, this means the onset of astronomical spring. From tomorrow, daylight hours will confidently increase, and night will decrease, until the summer solstice. The date of Easter according to the lunar-solar calendar is counted from the day of the vernal equinox.

For ancient Ukrainians and other Slavic peoples, the equinox was a real New Year - a time of awakening nature, rebirth of life, and the beginning of a new agricultural cycle.

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Traditions and beliefs

One of the most famous traditions is baking larks. Since ancient times, on the vernal equinox, housewives baked cookies in the shape of birds. The lark symbolized the return of flocks from warm lands, bringing warmth. Therefore, the cookies were given to children, thrown up, and placed on tree branches.

Girls and women went out to the hills, danced in circles, and sang special ritual songs - vesnyanky and hayivky, glorifying the Sun and warmth. It was believed that bonfires on this day helped the Sun gain strength. Therefore, in the evening, everyone jumped over the fire to cleanse themselves of diseases and misfortunes accumulated during the winter.

Before the holiday, they always tidied up the house and yard, threw away old and unnecessary things to make room for new energy.

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