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Gallery|Climate Crisis

The vernal equinox: Spring has sprung

Spring and autumn equinoxes mark the point when hours of night and day are nearly equal right across the globe.

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Spring equinox
Preparing for Persian New Year in Afghanistan. The event is traditionally celebrated on the spring equinox. [Muhammad Sadiq/EPA]
Published On 20 Mar 201620 Mar 2016

Spring has sprung – at least it has for those in the northern hemisphere.

At 04:30 GMT on Sunday, the sun crossed the celestial equator heading towards its most northerly point, the Tropic of Cancer, at the summer solstice.

The spring and autumn equinoxes mark the point when hours of night and day are nearly equal right across the globe.

Sun worship was one of the main forms of religious practice among our ancestors, and there are stlll plenty of people who at least acknowledge the “other world” significance of the sun and moon.

Ancient sites such as Glastonbury and Stonehenge in the UK are thronged with sun worshippers, as well as those looking to feel the vibe of these ancient sites at significant times of the sun’s cycle.

Spring equinox
Horsemen near Bishtek, Kyrgyzstan celebrate the arrival of spring with a game of Kok-buru or 'goat dragging' [Igor Kovalenko/EPA]
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Spring equinox
Celebrating the spring equinox with a balloon festival over San Juan de Teotihuacun, Mexico. [Bernardo Montoya/AFP]
Spring equinox
Celebrating Lathmar Holi at the start of spring in Mathura, India. [Rajat Gupta/EPA]
Spring equinox
The 5,000-year-old stones of Stonehenge in the southern UK are a gathering point for equinox celebrations. [Faccundo Arrizabalaga/EPA]
Spring equinox
Stocking up for the New Year in Tehran, Iran. [Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA]
Spring equinox
The spring equinox marks the start of the ploughing season in Shandong, China. [Wu Hong/EPA]
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