

You might be wondering how such an interesting and widespread legend got started. There's nothing magical about the vernal equinox that makes it any easier to balance an egg on end. It just takes a lot of patience and determination. So is there any truth to this popular legend? Nope! It's actually possible to balance eggs on end on any day of the year. According to legend, the special astronomical properties of the vernal equinox make it possible to balance eggs on end. If you keep your eyes and ears open around the time of the vernal equinox, you're likely to hear or see people talking about a magical phenomenon that only occurs on that day.
#2018 EQUINOX DATES FULL#
In Christianity, the vernal equinox is significant, because Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Early Egyptians even built the Great Sphinx so that it points directly toward the rising Sun on the day of the vernal equinox. For ancient cultures, the vernal equinox signaled that their food supplies would soon return. People have celebrated the vernal equinox for centuries. Thus, in the Southern Hemisphere, the March equinox is called the autumnal equinox, and the September equinox is called the vernal equinox. When the Northern Hemisphere starts to tilt toward the sun in spring, the Southern Hemisphere starts to tilt away from the sun, signaling the start of fall. The September equinox is called the autumnal equinox, because it marks the first day of fall (autumn). In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox is called the vernal equinox, because it signals the beginning of spring ( vernal means fresh or new like the spring). The March equinox marks when the Northern Hemisphere starts to tilt toward the sun, which means longer, sunnier days. Equinox literally means “ equal night," since the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world during the equinoxes. These moments - called equinoxes - occur around March 20 or 21 and September 22 or 23. As Earth revolves around the Sun, there are two moments each year when the Sun is exactly above the equator.
