spring equinox
In the southern hemisphere, the vernal equinox corresponds to the center of the Sun crossing the celestial equator moving southward and occurs on the date of the northern autumnal equinox. [1]
The spring equinox is sacred to dawn, youth, the morning star and the east. [2]
We think that the customs surrounding the celebration of the spring equinox were imported from Mediterranean lands, although there can be no doubt that the first inhabitants of the British Isles observed it, as evidence from megalithic sites shows. [3]
The truth is that if you can get a raw egg to balance upright on the spring equinox, you can get it to balance any other day of the year. [...] This is when the sun sits directly above the equator on its apparent trip northward. [4]
An Equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the Sun being vertically above a point on the Equator. [5]
The first day of spring in the U.S. is considered to be around March 20 or 21, depending on what day the vernal equinox occurs. [4]
An Equinox happens each year at two specific moments in time (rather than two whole days), when the centre of the Sun can be observed to be vertically above the Earth ’s Equator, occurring around March 20/21 and September 22/23 each year. [5]
The Saxon goddess, Eostre (from whose name we get the direction East and the holiday Easter) is a dawn goddess, like Aurora and Eos. [2]
The God of Light now wins a victory over his twin, the God of Darkness. [3]
Folklore tells us (combining two themes of the season) (and Donna Henes has demonstrated in public egg-balancing ceremonies in New York City) that eggs balance on their ends most easily at equinox. [2]
At an Equinox, the Sun is at one of two opposite points on the celestial sphere where the celestial equator (i.e. declination 0) and ecliptic intersect. [5]
The dates of maximum tilt of the Earth’s equator correspond to the summer solstice and winter solstice, and the dates of zero tilt to the vernal equinox and autumnal equinox. [...] The date (near March 21 in the northern hemisphere) when night and day are nearly the same length and Sun crosses the celestial equator (i.e., declination 0) moving northward. [1]
We are evidently in the presence of an emotion and a fear which, beneath its Christian colouring and, so to speak, transfiguration, is in its essence ‘ a relic from a very remote pre-Christian past. [2]
Sources:
[1] Vernal Equinox - Eric Weisstein’s World of Astronomy
[2] Celebrating Spring Equinox
[3] Lady Day: The Vernal Equinox
[4] Spring
[5] Equinox - Wikipedia