Spring into Celebration During the Season of Rebirth and Growth
Spring, as we say in the English-speaking world, has sprung.
Depending on where you live, the weather might not seem “springlike” just yet, but your state of mind probably is! Spring is a time when we feel hopeful about sunnier, milder, longer days and greener surroundings. Animals come out of hibernation; birds head to warmer climes; and garden beds beckon.
For many of us, the arrival of the season means spring cleaning—and then garage sales to offload the items we no longer want or need in our homes. It’s a time for yardwork and planting. For sports fans, springtime means March Madness (basketball) and Spring Training (baseball).
Around the world, spring is a season of rebirth and renewal. North of the equator, spring goes from March to June; elsewhere, spring is from September to December. But while the timing varies, one thing is for sure: spring is a time for celebration.
Flowers Are a Springtime Favorite
Nothing says spring like budding trees and blossoming flowers. In Japan, cherry blossoms, or sakura, have a world-famous spring festival all their own. These fragrant pink flowers peak by region from March to May—but they’re not unique to Japan. In Washington, DC, the National Cherry Blossom Festival draws millions of visitors for flower gazing and various activities. And if, like Cole Porter, you love Paris in the springtime, it might be because the Eiffel Tower is surrounded by the beautiful pink blooms.
Tulips are another quintessential spring flower. In Holland, Tulip Festival Amsterdam, which stretches from March to May, is brimming with bright blooms and activities. Across the Atlantic, the town of Holland, Michigan, hosts the weeklong Tulip Time. Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Ontario, the Canadian Tulip Festival claims to be the world’s largest tulip event with more than one million of the colorful flowers on display.
If azaleas strike your fancy, the Royal Azalea Festival in South Korea is a pink and purple party for the senses. Back in the US, the Portland Rose Festival in Oregon is the longest-running rose show in the country. Come for the intoxicating aromas and array of activities—and to find out who will be crowned the Queen of Rosaria!
Spring Festivals & Holidays
Flowers bring an explosion of color, but during Holi, it’s people who wear the colors—in the form of pigmented powder called gulal that is sprayed into the air. Held during the last full moon of winter, Holi, or the Hindu Festival of Colors, marks the arrival of spring. Other traditions include feasts, bonfires, and dancing.
Held during March in Valencia, Spain, the dynamic, five-day Las Fallas festival celebrates the arrival of spring and honors Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. Carpenters in olden times welcomed spring with bonfires; today, celebrants erect and then burn elaborate papier-mâché statues called fallas.
In Thailand, Songkran, or water festival, celebrates the Buddhist New Year and the beginning of spring. Usually occurring in April, this six-day celebration centers on water, which helps to wash away the previous year. Many celebrants splash cold water on each other. People also clean their houses and other public spaces and visit Buddhist temples.
Nowruz marks the new year on the Persian calendar, which coincides with the spring equinox. Customs include fire and water, ritual dances, gift exchanges, poetry recitations, symbolic objects, and more. Nowruz has roots in Zoroastrianism, but today is largely a secular holiday throughout parts of central Asia.
Sham El-Nessim, a national holiday held in Egypt on the Monday after Easter, marks the beginning of spring. Egyptians travel to natural areas such as parks, gardens, or zoos with their families, and some celebrate by coloring and decorating eggs, which symbolize new life.
Speaking of eggs, mild spring weather is perfect for Easter egg hunts. The Christian holiday of Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the theme of rebirth aligns with the spirit of springtime. Traditions include church services, festive meals, exchanging Easter baskets, and decorating Easter eggs.
The Jewish holiday of Passover, or Pesach, commemorates the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. The weeklong holiday includes a ritual meal called a seder. Because the Israelites did not have time to finish making bread before fleeing Egypt, those observing Passover trade leavened bread for unleavened flatbread called matzah.
In the Muslim world, the monthlong period of Ramadan that runs from March through April commemorates the prophet Muhammad’s first revelation and features fasting, prayer, and reflection. Ramadan concludes with the three-day Eid al-Fitr, or Feast of Fast-Breaking.
Cute & Quirky Spring Customs
Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake (Gloucester, England)
Nothing says spring like a giant wheel of cheese! That’s why people come to Gloucestershire from all over the world each year to race down a 200-yard-long hill chasing a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese.
Baba Marta Day (Bulgaria)
Bulgarians exchange red and white martenitsa (bracelets) on March 1 to offer good fortune. At the sight of the first stork or tree bud, the bracelets are removed and tied to trees to encourage new spring growth.
Frozen Dead Guy Days (Colorado, US)
This annual March festival pays homage to a Norwegian man who was cryogenically frozen after his death. The three-day celebration features live music, a polar plunge, coffin races, and more to honor the more-than-century-old frozen man.
Sechseläuten (Zurich, Switzerland)
Sechseläuten, the “six o’clock ringing of the bells,” welcomes the start of spring in Zurich. After a parade, people burn winter in the form of the Böögg, a likeness of a snowman. The faster his head—which is filled with fireworks—explodes, the sooner summer will (allegedly) arrive.
The World Wakes Up
From colorful to quirky to joyous to serene, spring is a time for celebration. As the world wakes up from its winter slumber, humans bask in the glory of longer days, greener surroundings, and a sense of renewal and hope. Whether you choose to take it easy or “spring” into action, spring—and the outdoors—await!