The end of winter is an eagerly anticipated time of year – longer days, warmer weather and spring break. On the heels of the end of winter is the vernal equinox, the first day of spring (March 20) when the sun shines directly on the equator crossing over from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere.
It’s a day marked with celebrations and quirky traditions like standing an egg on its end. (Some believe it’s only possible to stand an egg on its head on the first day of spring, purportedly because of changes in gravity, but this is a myth.)
While hitting the beach might be the first thing that comes to mind for celebrating the end of winter, there are towns throughout North America that host end of winter festivals and vernal equinox celebrations. From burning socks to standing eggs, here are some quirky ways folks celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
Vernal Equinox Celebration at Chichen Itza, Mexico
During the autumn and spring equinoxes, the ruins at Chichen Itza are a sight to behold. The light of the sun casts a shadow on El Castillo (Kulkulkan Temple) that looks like a serpent slithering along the steps of the ancient Mayan pyramid that is a 25-metre stone representation of the Mayan calendar. The effect lasts about an hour and occurs on the day of the equinox and the days just before and after, attracting thousands of visitors to the archaeological ruins that date to the seventh and 10th centuries.
5th Annual Annapolis Oyster Roast and Sock Burning in Annapolis, Maryland, United States
For years, folks in Annapolis, Maryland, have ushered in spring by burning socks and eating oysters, and this year is no exception. The 5th Annual Annapolis Oyster Roast and Sock Burning is from 12 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 at the Annapolis Maritime Museum. The burning of socks is a local tradition celebrating the spring equinox and the arrival of boating season (it’s believed folks wear socks all winter and, once spring arrives, the socks come off and stay off until the following winter). The ceremony also includes the reading of a poem “Ode to the Equinox,” live music, an oyster shucking competition, and raw, steamed and roasted oyster tasting. The fundraiser for the museum also includes the chance to board an authentic skipjack, a single-masted sailing vessel designed to harvest oysters, and a display of wooden boats.
Burning Away the Winter Blues in Whitehouse, Yukon, Canada
The 17th annual parade and bonfire along the Yukon River is a cathartic way to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring. The free Burning Away the Winter Blues event begins with a torch procession along the Yukon River from the S.S. Klondike National Historic Site to the Robert Service Campground in Whitehorse, Yukon at 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 21. Along the way, there is singing, drumming and graffiti-yeti effigies. Once at the campground, live music and fire spinning entertains the crowd, while revellers write down their winter blues on pieces of paper. The winter blues are collected and thrown along with the effigies into a giant bonfire.
OMSI Star Party: Vernal Equinox Celebration in Buxton, Oregon, United States
Folks in Buxton, Oregon are celebrating the vernal equinox by looking to the stars beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28. Rose City Astronomers and Vancouver Sidewalk Astronomers are hosting the OMSI Star Party: Vernal Equinox Celebration at L.L. Stub Stewart State Park. The star gazing party allows all ages to view the stars, Mars, Venus and Jupiter, and Orion Nebula through telescopes.
Spring Equinox Dinner at Deerholme Farm in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
Why not celebrate the arrival of spring with food? The Deerholme Farm in Duncan, British Columbia is hosting a $90 multi-course, farm-to-table Spring Equinox Dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 21. The menu includes starters like smoked trout with goats cheese and stinging nettle tartlet with sorrel sauce; and main dishes like Dungeness crab and morel cake with smashed roasted squash and oxeye daisy aioli, spring salad of wild greens, seaweed crackers and pickled burdock shoots, and handmade pasta with braised rabbit, wild herbs, mushrooms and preserved lemon.
Garden Brewers Spring Equinox Party in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Celebrate the first day of spring with a beer. Folks 19 years and older can attend the inaugural Garden Brewers Spring Equinox Party from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, March 20 at Mills Hardware in Hamilton, Ontario. Local brewery Garden Brewers is serving its new Green-Thumb IPA and party-goers can sample $5 mugs of the brew and listen to free talks about gardening and getting ready for the planting season.
Welcome Spring at the Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacan, Mexico
Thousands of revellers usher in spring at Teotihuacan, an archaeological site 48 kilometres north of Mexico City. Dressed in all white, they climb to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun and perform rituals to absorb the special energy believed to be at the site on the vernal equinox.
Spring Equinox Party at Haliburton Highlands Museum in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada
The Haliburton Highlands Museum, a museum about early pioneers in Ontario, is throwing a Spring Equinox Party to welcome spring from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 20. The free festivities include music, a bonfire and treats.
Hit the Beach
Say goodbye to freezing temperatures and hello to sunshine, golden sands and beach fun.
(Main Image:L.L. Stub Stewart State Park)
