Celebrating Equinox

The Vernal Equinox: Monday, March 20, 2023, 2:24 in the afternoon.

A moment in time when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, the imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s equator from south to north. We will enjoy 12 hours, 9 minutes and 33 seconds of daylight and Spring will be sprung from the shackles of cold, wind and rain. Oh, how I wish….

Rejoice the Egg! The symbol of fertility and rebirth, each spring we farmers and gardeners sow seeds again and watch, water and wait as they spring forth and blossom into food, flower and so much beauty. This is my 24th year as a grower/farmer/gardener and I am still delighted and awed with each seedling as it unfurls its first leaves from the soil. It is still magic.

And now, a few fun myths surrounding the Equinox.

You can stand a raw egg on its end (without a prop) and balance other things, maybe even your life.

According to this myth, the Sun’s position in the sky (and presumably its gravitational pull on the Earth) means that you can stand an egg up on end during the precise moment of the vernal equinox. But this is something you can try to do any day of the year—provided you have the patience to spend lots of time trying to balance eggs! Equinoxes won’t make it any easier to accomplish this feat.

You will not have a noon time shadow.

Technically, this myth is kind of true. But conditions have to be incredibly precise for this to happen. It’s all about being the right place at the right time. Since the Sun is always at an angle to you, you always cast a shadow. In order to not cast a shadow, the Sun needs to be directly overhead. Because the Sun is situated over the equator at the equinox, you’d have to be standing at the equator precisely at noon on the day of the equinox for this to happen.  What airline flies to the equator?

The spring equinox can alter your mood.

This is another one of those myths based partly in truth. The Sun moving across the equator has no real effect on emotions. So “they” say. I am not so  sure about that. Seasonal changes can and often do play a big part in moods. I know I feel lighter in spring, maybe it’s just that I am not weighed down with 5 layers and 5 pounds of warm clothing. So while the moment of the vernal equinox itself isn’t responsible for changes in our emotions, it’s likely that around this time of year we experience at least a little bit of spring fever. Go outside and play in the dirt!

~ by Karen Biondo — Owner of LaBiondo Farm and Kitchen
Based on information from The Farmers Almanac.
Paper & Encaustic goose eggs created by Karen Biondo with the help of my 7 geese a laying…