What is the day of the autumnal equinox definition. What's happened
The spring and autumn equinoxes are astronomical events in which day equals night and mark the change of seasons. We know that the spring and autumn equinoxes occur at the moment when our Sun, in its annual movement along the ecliptic, crosses the celestial equator. These points are respectively located in the constellations Pisces and Virgo. Day spring equinox- this is the beginning of astronomical spring.
On the days of the solstices, our daylight reaches the extreme points of its annual path across the sky - in summer it deviates 23.4 degrees north from the celestial equator, in winter - 23.4 degrees south. Therefore, in June, the Sun illuminates the northern hemisphere of the Earth more - and at the moment of solstice, summer begins here - and at the end of December - the southern hemisphere, and at this time winter begins here (and summer in the southern hemisphere).
Below you can see the exact dates of the spring and autumn equinoxes for the city of Moscow, just like the winter and summer solstices.
| event | date/time |
| Spring equinox | March 20 at 19:15 Tue |
| Summer solstice | June 21 at 13:07 Thu |
| Autumn equinox | September 23 at 04:54 Sun |
| Winter solstice | December 22 at 01:22 Sat |
These dates were among the most revered in the pre-Christian period. Solstice, rotation, equinox, solstice are the names of solar holidays, which are also called the four hypostases of the Slavic Dazhdbog, which is the Sun itself - the son of Svarog.
Kolyada - winter solstice (December 21-22);
- Maslenitsa or Komoeditsa - the day of the vernal equinox (March 21-22);
- Kupailo (Kupala) – summer solstice (June 21-22);
- Radogoshch (Svetovit, Veresen, Tausen) – autumn equinox (September 22-23);
Kolyada is the winter solstice or the longest night of the year. During this period, the young sun Kolyada replaces the old sun Svetovit in his post. That is why the daylight hours begin to increase from this day on. Replaced by the church on Christmas Day.
Maslenitsa or Komoeditsa - the day of the vernal equinox (day and night are equal in time), farewell to winter, burning of the effigy of Madder, welcoming spring and the Slavic New Year. The date March 21-22 is also the beginning of astronomical spring. From this day on, the day becomes longer than the night. Yarilo-Sun replaces Kolyada and drives away Winter-Madder. Traditionally, this bracelet was celebrated for two whole weeks.
Kupaylo - day summer solstice. The longest day and shortest night of the year. The last day of Rusal Week or Rusalia. Kupala is one of the ancient holidays, which has kept many traditions and customs unchanged to this day, for example: the funeral of Yarila, who is replaced by the God of the summer sun Kupala, collecting medicinal herbs, searching for a fern flower, etc. Kupailo is also a great holiday, which is now replaced by the church on the birthday of John the Baptist.
Radogoshch (Svetovit, Veresen, Tausen) - day autumn equinox(day and night are equal in time). On this day, the Sun-Old Man Svetovit comes into his own. The night is getting longer than a day. Is like sunny holiday, and the holiday of the end of the harvest. Replaced by the church for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Equinox and solstice by year:The night from December 21 to 22 is special. Firstly, this will be the moment of the Winter Solstice (1:23 am on December 22, Moscow time). Secondly, the Moon will be in the full moon phase, its maximum light, and also in Taurus, the sign of its exaltation (Vedic horoscope).
Equinox Day 2018
The night from December 21 to 22 will be the longest in 2018 in the entire northern hemisphere. This phenomenon occurs because it is at this time that the tilt of the Earth’s axis of rotation relative to the Sun becomes greatest. In the calendar, this date is called the Winter Solstice. Exact date and time winter solstice in 2018: Greenwich time - December 21, 22 hours 23 minutes GMT Kiev time - December 22 at 00 hours 23 minutes Moscow time - December 22 at 01 hours 23 minutes December 21 and 22 are the most short days years, and between them is the longest night of the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, astronomical summer will begin at the winter solstice. In astrology, the winter solstice is the moment the Sun passes into the constellation Capricorn and the beginning of astronomical winter, which will last until the spring equinox.
WHY IS THIS DAY IMPORTANT?
Firstly, we have 4 important points in the wheel of the year - the spring and autumn equinox, summer and winter solstices. They divide the solar year into a cross - a key symbol of the cyclical nature of the universe and the Sun (Slavic and Vedic swastika).
Each of these 4 stages has its own qualities, and on the day of the Winter Solstice, we in the northern hemisphere experience the longest, darkest night, after which the day begins to grow.
Secondly, in 2018 this day coincides with the full moon - a special phase of the moon during which we receive the maximum light from the night luminary. This day is very important for practice and work with intention; rituals are performed on it.
START OF A NEW CYCLE
The Winter Solstice is the moment of the rebirth of the Sun, when there will be more and more of its light. Within our human cycle, this corresponds to spiritual ascent, a movement from darkness to light. The full moon enhances the energies of this day, further charging the practices and intentions that are worth doing on this day.
Such an important day in the annual cycle should not be overlooked. Our ancestors always performed holiday rituals on days like these, which demonstrated their deep understanding of the laws of the universe, connection with the cycles of nature, and life in harmony with the surrounding world and space. Recommended Practices:
1. Cleansing. To enter the new, you need to leave the old. Therefore, the day before it will be very good to do cleansing practices:
- House cleaning, getting rid of old things.
- Cleansing the body. Any method of cleansing or unloading the body that is accessible and indicated for your health.
- Paying off debts, completing “defects”. Sit down and make a list of what you owe someone, or once promised, or maybe promised yourself, started and didn’t finish. You can complete some things already before December 22, and some in the near future to make room for a new cycle.
- Forgiveness and letting go of grievances. Practice forgiveness. Remember and write down situations, people with whom you have grievances, write words of forgiveness, speak out loud, release them from the emotional field with gratitude. Burn this piece of paper. The book “Radical Forgiveness” by K. Tipping will help you.
Our ancestors knew and respected the laws of nature, so they celebrated events such as the winter solstice.
Despite the enormous achievements of progress, even modern technologies are unable to disrupt the magic of natural cycles: the lunar days will not change places, and summer will not come after autumn.
In 2018, the winter solstice will occur on December 22 at 01:23 am Moscow time. On this day the Sun reaches its lowest position. Then, at the end of December and January, daylight hours become longer.
In astrology, on this day the Sun moves from the zodiac sign Sagittarius to the sign Capricorn, and astrological winter begins.
Note that on the night of December 21-22, astronomical winter begins. This is because the height of the sun in the sky is the lowest on this day. In the old days, our ancestors celebrated this day at night, before sunrise. Various rituals and conspiracies were performed.
The traditions of many peoples meant celebrating the winter solstice as the birth of a new Sun.
It is worth saying that our ancestors tried to prepare their homes for the Winter Solstice: general cleaning, and the outside of the rooms and houses were decorated with fir branches.
The winter solstice was considered New Year among the Slavs. The celebration was called in honor of Kolyada, the god of the new Sun.
As for the longest day, it is observed on June 22, then gradually declines. At the end of June, the days begin to gradually decrease, and by December they will reach their minimum. In the northernmost cities there will even be a polar night.
In turn, the day of the autumnal equinox occurs from September 21 to 23, when the day is the same length as the night. After this day, the night begins to increase and the day decreases.
According to universal time, the spring equinox occurs on March 22, when the Sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern. This is the period when day is almost equal to night.
March
June
September
December
Equinox- the moment when the center of the Sun in its apparent movement along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator.
The spring equinox occurs on March 21, when the Sun moves from the southern to the northern hemisphere, and the autumn equinox occurs on September 23, when it moves from the northern to the southern. On these days, for all places on Earth (excluding the areas of the Earth's poles), day is almost equal to night ("almost" - due to refraction, the fact that the Sun is not a point source of light, but a disk, and also due to the fact that the moment of the equinox is shifted relative to 6 or 18 hours of local solar time). On the days of the spring equinox and autumn equinox, the Sun rises almost exactly in the east and sets almost exactly in the west. Whereas after the spring equinox (in the northern hemisphere) it rises north of east and sets north of west, and after the autumn equinox it rises south of east and sets south of west.
The points where the celestial equator intersects the ecliptic are called equinox points. Due to the ellipticality of its orbit, the Earth moves from the autumn equinox to the spring equinox rather than from the spring to the autumn point. Due to the precession of the earth's axis, the relative positions of the equator and ecliptic slowly change; this phenomenon is called the anticipation of the equinoxes. Over the course of a year, the position of the equator changes so that the Sun arrives at the equinox 20 minutes 24 seconds earlier than the Earth completes its full orbit. As a result, the position of the equinoctial points on the celestial sphere changes. From the point of the vernal equinox, right ascensions along the celestial equator and longitudes along the ecliptic are counted. Determining the position of this fictitious point on the celestial sphere is one of the main tasks of practical astronomy.
The spring and autumn equinoxes are considered the astronomical beginning of the modern seasons. The interval between two equinoxes of the same name is called tropical year, which is used to measure time. A tropical year has approximately 365.2422 solar days, so the equinox falls on different times days, moving forward each time by almost 6 hours. The Julian year consists of 365¼ days. The intercalary day of a leap year returns the equinox to the previous date of the year. But the tropical year is slightly smaller than the Julian year, and the equinox actually recedes slowly according to the numbers of the Julian calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, due to the omission of 3 days in 400 years, it is almost motionless (the Gregorian year averages 365.2425 days).
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See what the “Day of the Vernal Equinox” is in other dictionaries:
Spring equinox- The time when the center of the Sun, in its apparent movement along the ecliptic, crosses the celestial equator is called the equinox. At this time, the Earth is in a position relative to the Sun when both hemispheres, from the equator to the poles, heat up... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers
Astronomical spring, or vernal equinox- March 21 is the day of the onset of astronomical spring, it is also called the day of the vernal equinox. At this time, the Earth is in a position relative to the Sun when both hemispheres, from the equator to the poles, heat up relatively equally.... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers
Autumn equinox day- September 23, 2013 at 00 hours 44 minutes Moscow time (MSK) Sun in once again will cross the celestial equator and move from the northern hemisphere of the celestial sphere to the southern. The day of the autumnal equinox will come, astronomical autumn in... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers
Autumnal equinox (holiday)- Day of the autumnal equinox, a time of remembering deceased relatives and visiting their graves. Day of the autumnal equinox (Japanese: 秋分の日 shu: bun no hi ... Wikipedia
Green Day- (Japanese: みどりの日 Midori no hi?) public holiday Japan. Since 2007, celebrated on May 4; in 1989 2006, celebrated on April 29. Part of Japanese Golden Week. Until 1989, April 29 was the birthday of Emperor Showa... ... Wikipedia
Coming of Age Day- (Japanese: 成人の日 seijin no hi?) is a Japanese public holiday, which is celebrated on the second Monday of January (one of the “Happy Mondays”). On this day, all Japanese who have turned 20 over the past year celebrate their... ... Wikipedia
Labor Appreciation Day- Labor Appreciation Day is an echo of the traditional Japanese holiday of gratitude for the harvest. Labor Appreciation Day ... Wikipedia
Solstice(also solstice) - an astronomical event, the moment of passage of the center of the Sun through the points of the ecliptic, most distant from the equator of the celestial sphere and called solstice points.
Equinox- an astronomical phenomenon when the center of the Sun, in its apparent movement along the ecliptic, crosses the celestial equator. When observing the Earth from space at the equinox, the terminator passes along the geographic poles of the Earth and is perpendicular to the Earth's equator.
These dates were among the most revered in the pre-Christian period. Solstice, rotation, equinox, solstice are the names of solar holidays, which are also called the four hypostases of the Slavic Dazhdbog, which is the Sun itself - the son of Svarog.
- Kolyada– winter solstice (December 21-22)
- Maslenitsa or Komoeditsy– vernal equinox (March 21-22)
- Kupailo (Kupala)– summer solstice (June 21-22)
- Radogoshch (Svetovit, Veresen, Tausen)– autumnal equinox (September 22-23)
Kolyada– winter solstice or the longest night of the year. During this period, the young sun Kolyada replaces the old sun Svetovit in his post. That is why the daylight hours begin to increase from this day on. Replaced by the church on Christmas Day.
Maslenitsa or Komoeditsy– the day of the vernal equinox (day and night are equal in time), farewell to winter, burning of the effigy of Madder, welcoming spring and the Slavic New Year. The date March 21-22 is also the beginning of astronomical spring. From this day on, the day becomes longer than the night. Yarilo-Sun replaces Kolyada and drives away Winter-Madder. Traditionally, this bracelet was celebrated for two whole weeks.
Kupaylo- day of the summer solstice. The longest day and shortest night of the year. The last day of Rusal Week or Rusalia. Kupala is one of the oldest holidays, which has kept many traditions and customs unchanged to this day, for example: the funeral of Yarila, who is replaced by the God of the summer sun Kupala, the collection of medicinal herbs, the search for fern flowers, etc. Kupailo is also a great holiday, which is now replaced by the church on the birthday of John the Baptist.
Radogoshch(Svetovit, Veresen, Tausen) - the day of the autumnal equinox (day and night are equal in time). On this day, the Sun-Old Man Svetovit comes into his own. The night becomes longer than the day. It is both a solar holiday and a celebration of the end of the harvest. Replaced by the church for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Position of the sun on solstice days
The periods between solstices are the times when the sun moves either higher above the horizon or lower.
Astronomers note that the movement of the hot star is similar to a sine wave:
- after the winter solstice it rises higher every day
- after the summer - on the contrary, it drops lower
The angle created by the sun and the earth's horizon, in other words, the astronomical longitude of the hot star, is:
- 90° in June
- 270° in December
In astronomy, from the moment the Sun enters the zodiac sign of Taurus in June, summer begins, and winter begins in the sign of Sagittarius in December. A few days before and after the solstice, the hot celestial body “freezes” at one point at noon.
However, you won't see the sun directly overhead on the solstices.
If you are a resident of the northern hemisphere of the Earth, then:
- go 23.5° above the equator before the summer solstice to see the hot planet vertically above you,
- visit 23.5°S to see a similar phenomenon during the winter solstice.
Position of the sun at the equinoxes
The equinoxes represent a certain milestone when the sun moves from the northern to the southern hemisphere in the fall and vice versa in the spring. This is for the part of our planet that is located above the equator. These days, the sun directs its rays in such a way that they evenly heat the entire part of the Earth facing it.
Another feature of these calendar dates is that the day before and after, as well as during the equinox, the sun rises clearly in the east and sets in the west. True, this phenomenon is typical only for 23.5° north or south latitude. In other areas there is a slight shift to the north or south.
Equinoxes and solstices: magic
These 4 days of the year have maximum energy not only because of the change of times. The Slavs knew this very well and harmoniously structured their lives in such a way as to streamline and develop their relationships with nature.
A common feature during the celebrations of all solstices and equinoxes among our ancestors were mass celebrations.
The whole village gathered together:
- were carried out different games and fun
- there were round dances
- everyone ate
- praised the gods
- commemorated ancestors
Everything happened fun, easily and naturally.
- We still celebrate the summer solstice as Kupala. We are looking for the treasured fern flower in the hope of good luck and the fulfillment of our cherished dreams.
- On the autumn equinox, the ancestors held a harvest festival. Adults cleaned the house, yard, and fields. Children decorated their homes with bunches of rowan berries. It was believed that she would protect the house and its inhabitants from evil all year long.
The winter solstice, or the birth of Kolyada - the young sun, was celebrated on a special scale. There was a place here:
- fortune telling about the betrothed, marriage, weather for the next year, harvest
- caroling and dressing up as animals to scare away dark forces
- jumping over a fire to burn all resentment, envy and similar sins
Three days before and the same number after Kolyada had special power. Housewives put things in order in their heads and homes, and brought health and well-being into the life of the family. They watched the events of 12 days after Kolyada in order to understand what the coming year would bring for the family.
- The day of the vernal equinox had special power. Nature was awakening from its winter sleep, New Year for working on the ground.
- At this time pancakes were being baked and it was Maslenitsa. But it lasted 2 weeks - one before, the second after the equinox.
- Housewives baked larks - small birds made from sweet dough.
- In the evening, everyone jumped over the fires to renew themselves for a new round of life. For example, if an unmarried girl jumped, then she will definitely become the mother of a hero.
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Dates and times of solstices and equinoxes in UTC-0 |
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Equinox |
Solstice |
Equinox |
Solstice |
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| day | time | day | time | day | time | day | time | |
| 2010 | 20 | 17:32 | 21 | 11:28 | 23 | 03:09 | 21 | 23:38 |
| 2011 | 20 | 23:21 | 21 | 17:16 | 23 | 09:04 | 22 | 05:30 |
| 2012 | 20 | 05:14 | 20 | 23:09 | 22 | 14:49 | 21 | 11:12 |
| 2013 | 20 | 11:02 | 21 | 05:04 | 22 | 20:44 | 21 | 17:11 |
| 2014 | 20 | 16:57 | 21 | 10:51 | 23 | 02:29 | 21 | 23:03 |
| 2015 | 20 | 22:45 | 21 | 16:38 | 23 | 08:20 | 22 | 04:48 |
| 2016 | 20 | 04:30 | 20 | 22:34 | 22 | 14:21 | 21 | 10:44 |
| 2017 | 20 | 10:28 | 21 | 04:24 | 22 | 20:02 | 21 | 16:28 |
| 2018 | 20 | 16:15 | 21 | 10:07 | 23 | 01:54 | 21 | 22:23 |
| 2019 | 20 | 21:58 | 21 | 15:54 | 23 | 07:50 | 22 | 04:19 |
| 2020 | 20 | 03:50 | 20 | 21:44 | 22 | 13:31 | 21 | 10:02 |
| 2021 | 20 | 09:37:27 | 21 | 03:32:08 | 22 | 19:21:03 | 21 | 15:59:16 |
| 2022 | 20 | 15:33:23 | 21 | 09:13:49 | 23 | 01:03:40 | 21 | 21:48:10 |
| 2023 | 20 | 21:24:24 | 21 | 14:57:47 | 23 | 06:49:56 | 22 | 03:27:19 |
| 2024 | 20 | 03:06:21 | 20 | 20:50:56 | 22 | 12:43:36 | 21 | 09:20:30 |
| 2025 | 20 | 09:01:25 | 21 | 02:42:11 | 22 | 18:19:16 | 21 | 15:03:01 |
Spring is the time of awakening of nature, when everything around wakes up after a long winter hibernation. But spring is also a time full of mysteries and secrets, one of which is the vernal equinox, a date that our ancestors considered special in the annual cycle. What date is the vernal equinox, why was it so important in the past and what significance does this event have now - all this is discussed in our article.
Date
Spring equinox - what is it? The answer to this question lies in the very name of the holiday: the time when day is equal to night. From an astronomical point of view, it looks like this: the line dividing the illuminated and unlit parts of the planet runs strictly along the poles, at right angles to the equator.
Regardless of the annual cycle, whether it is a leap year or not, the vernal equinox always falls on the same date - March 20. Yes, there are deviations from this date, but they are extremely rare - for example, in the 21st century, the first such deviation will be only in 2096; this year the equinox falls on March 19th.
Quirks of the calendar
Did you know that the entire Gregorian calendar - the calendar we all use today - was built around the vernal equinox? Yes, yes, it was from this day that the countdown of the new year began. True, at the time when this calendar was put into effect - and this was the 15th century - the equinox fell on March 21. So, in a sense, this day can still be called a holiday.
There are two days in the annual cycle when day is equal to night - these are the spring and autumn equinoxes. In 2019, autumn falls on September 23. By the way, due to the difference in seasons, for those living in the countries of the southern hemisphere, September 23 will be considered the date of the vernal equinox. Paradoxical, isn't it?
This event is the date of the beginning of astronomical spring, that is, from the position of astronomy as a science, the new season begins not on the first, but on the twentieth of March. The same applies to the autumnal equinox - this point serves as the beginning of the countdown of astronomical autumn.
On this day, the sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west (deviations from geographical points are a fraction of minutes, that is, so insignificant that they can be neglected). The situation is similar with the date of the autumn equinox.
Equinox - a special day
This date is considered special for almost every nation. Judge for yourself - a huge number of countries have some kind of holidays “attached” to March 19-23, their roots going back to the deep past. This is the well-known Navruz or Nauryz, celebrated by the Turkic peoples, and Magpies or Larks among the Slavs, and Higan in Japan. The Annunciation in Orthodoxy also falls at the end of March, and Sabantuy, widely celebrated by the Tatars and Bashkirs, once also fell in the second half of March.
The fact that at the beginning of spring there is a time when the day is equal in length to the night, and the sun rises at a strictly defined point, was noticed in ancient times. Many archaeological monuments of the past are associated with the day of the equinox - Stonehenge, the pyramids of Egypt, buildings of the Aztecs and Mayans, temples of India and China. Many signs and customs associated with this event have survived to this day.
Traditions and customs
Initially, this day was filled with a special meaning - at this time Light and Darkness, Good and Evil, Heat and Cold met in a duel. Naturally, the good side won, because after the equinox the days became longer and the nights shorter, warmth returned to the earth after the winter cold, nature woke up, the forests and mountains, steppes and meadows were filled with sounds. Many customs were associated with these beliefs, some of which have survived to this day.
On the night before the equinox, it was customary to burn bonfires - yes, all night long - to help Light defeat Darkness. But at the same time, it was not advisable to leave the house - at least, you should spend as little time as possible on the street and certainly not wander around in the dark without a torch or candle. Dark forces are insidious and, before inevitable defeat, they will certainly try to take revenge on people, to recoup their loss. But the holiday of the beginning of spring should certainly be celebrated noisily and cheerfully - so that all nature would rejoice along with people at the arrival of warmth and sun.
The equinox is a day full of secrets. It is not surprising that at this time it was customary to guess. But not on the bride or groom, but on whether the coming year will be prosperous or unlucky. Each nation had its own fortune-telling, but, of course, our Slavic ones are closer to us. So, for example, housewives baked a pea or a small pebble, sometimes a coin, in a “bake” - pies, flat cakes, buns in the shape of small birds, which were customary to bake on Zhavoronki. Whichever family member gets the coin will have good luck all year long.
Look video about the rituals of the Vernal Equinox: