Did You Miss the Spring Equinox?

Ancient peoples had some fascinating celebrations during the spring equinox, some of which are either still celebrated or have been incorporated into current practice today.  Many celebrated either planting time or harvest time, some appear to be solely astronomical in nature, and in some cases researchers can only guess at the celebrations that surrounded what has been found.   Are you ready for a bit of history? 

Egypt - One of the Egyptians most revered gods was the Ra, the Sun God.  The sphinx was always built so that it faced due east.  On the equinox, sunrise would light up the sphinx in utter splendor.  This would start the harvest festivals as well.

Iran - The first day of spring marks the beginning of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. The celebration lasts 13 days.  The earliest recorded Nowruz is about 648 BC, about 14 centuries before Islam.  Kings from nations under Persian rule would bring gifts to the ruler during that celebration.  Although this belongs to Iranian history, the celebration has spread to South and Central Asia, Northwestern China, and other countries as well.

Ancient Britain - Both the solstices (mid-winter and mid-summer) and the equinoxes were of high importance to the Megalithic peoples, from whom came the Celts, Romans and Saxons.  They evidently were fascinated by astronomy and have left behind stonework and carvings in several locations. The equinoxes were not otherwise celebrated in ancient Britain until more recently.

Ancient Ireland - The Megalithic culture was here, too.  Longhcrew Carin is a passage tomb about 55 miles northwest of Dublin.  It is designed so the rising equinox sun penetrates the long corridor and illuminates a backstone, which is decorated with astronomical symbols.

Ancient Germans - The fertility goddess Ostara mated with the sun god on the spring equinox.  She was associated with human and crop fertility.

Ancient Mayans - There is a great pyramid in El Castillo, Mexico, that has a staircase on the northern side from top to bottom.  As the sun sets on the equinox day, the pyramid’s west side is illuminated.  But the lengthening shadows appear to run from the top of the staircase to the bottom.  It looks disturbingly like a diamond-backed snake in descent.  This phenomenon has been called ‘The Return of the Sun Serpant’ since ancient times.

Ancient Greeks – The god-man Dionysos was a major deity; god of spring rites, flowering plants and fruitful vines.  Geeks celebrated joyfully the return of spring.

Ancient North Americas – The natives in what is now Vermont built a stone structure in a natural ampitheater, now called Calendar One.  The bowl has notches in the ridge.  At equinox the sun sets exactly in the point of one of the notches.  There is a notch for each equinox, and for each solstice as well.  Another site is called America’s Stonehenge, a 4000 year old megalithic site in Salem, New Hampshire.  It contains five standing stones and one fallen one.  At equinox, the fallen stone points precisely to sunrise and sunset.

Sources:

National Geographic

Traditional celebrations

Infoplease.com