Spring Equinox

The spring equinox occurs annually between March 19 and March 21. In 2026, the vernal equinox takes place on March 20, marking the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, it coincides with the beginning of autumn.

The spring equinox is an astronomical event that occurs every March when the Earth’s axis doesn’t tilt toward or away from the sun. The Earth tilts on its axis at an angle of 23.5 degrees relative to its plane of orbit around the sun. As the Earth orbits the sun over the course of a year, different places get sunlight for different amounts of time. On the vernal equinox, the length of day and night are roughly the same.

Someone standing on the equator on the spring equinox can observe the sun passing directly overhead at noon. Additionally, the spring equinox is one of the two times a year that the sun rises due east and sets due west. (The other is the fall equinox.)

Six months after the spring equinox, the autumnal equinox occurs around September 22 or 23 and marks the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Since the Earth actually takes about 365.24 days to orbit the sun, equinoxes happen around six hours later from year to year, before moving back a day on leap years.

In addition to two annual equinoxes, there are two solstices every year. A solstice happens when the Earth’s axis and its orbital position result in the sun shining directly on one of the two latitudinal tropics instead of the equator like on an equinox.

The summer solstice, on June 20 or June 21, occurs when the sun is farthest north of the equator on the Tropic of Cancer; it’s the longest day of the year in terms of daylight. The winter solstice, on December 21 or December 22, happens when the sun is farthest south of the equator on the Tropic of Capricorn; it’s the shortest day of the year. The summer and winter solstices mark the first day of summer and winter, respectively, in the Northern Hemisphere, but like the equinoxes, the opposite is true in the Southern Hemisphere.

For centuries, people have celebrated the vernal equinox. At the ruins of Chichen Itza, the ancient Maya city in Mexico, crowds now gather on the spring (and fall) equinox to watch as the afternoon sun creates shadows that resemble a snake moving along the stairs of the 79-foot-tall Pyramid of Kukulkan, also called El Castillo.

On the spring equinox, the snake descends the pyramid until it merges with a large, serpent head sculpture at the base of the structure. While the Maya were skilled astronomers, it’s unknown whether they specifically designed the pyramid to align with the equinox and create this visual effect.

At Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in England featuring the remains of a circle of huge standing stones, druids and pagans congregate to watch the sun rise on the equinox and welcome spring. However, it’s unclear what, if any, meaning the equinox held for those who constructed the ancient monument, as they left no written record about why or even how it was built.

Among various spring holidays is Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which starts on the vernal equinox. The centuries-old holiday is observed by millions of people around the world and lasts 13 days. In Japan, the day of the spring equinox is a national holiday called Shunbun no Hi. Some people commemorate the day by tending to the graves of their ancestors.

Meanwhile, the date of Easter each year falls on the Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox. This timing also influences the related Christian holidays of Lent, Mardi Gras and Good Friday.