Is it Spring yet?

It depends who you ask!

I was always brought up on the traditional notion that Spring started on 21st March, but this never sat well with me (as it would then imply that winter didn't start until 21st December, which put most Christmas parties into Autumn).

This date is actually the start of 'Astronomical Spring', the mark of the Vernal Equinox, when days finally start to become longer than nights. And to add a bit of confusion into the mix, this date can fluctuate between 19th and 21st March (it's on the 20th this year).

More relatable is 'Meteorological Spring', this is a system which divides the year into four, three-month seasons, with roughly the warmest three being summer, the coldest three being winter, and the other seasons in between being Spring and Autumn.

Interestingly, different countries define meteorological seasons differently, in the UK, 1st March is the first day of Meteorological Spring, but across the Irish Sea, this is 1st February!

So, all very good Ant, but why does it matter to me?

We're getting there, I promise.

When thinking about Spring, I really relate to the traditional Gaelic seasonal festivals, which themselves are derived from pagan traditions. The start of Spring is marked at the start of February by 'Imbolc' (a fascinating festival in itself, look it up), and aligns Spring with the cycles in the natural world.

Because, taking away all of the other definitions, Spring really symbolizes a time of awakening and growth in the world.

For winter, the natural world enters a low-energy state - trees shed leaves, most plants don't flower, some mammals hibernate - and even us humans can be affected as changes to temperature and daylight can affect our circadian rhythms and hormones, making us feel more tired and sluggish.

The start of February marks when things are starting to change - yes, it's still cold, but the snowdrops and crocuses (crocii?) are out, daffodils are on their way, and during the month, the mornings and evenings become noticeably lighter.

It's actually quite baffling when you think about it, that January is marked as a period of frantic planning, goals, resolutions and growth - it's fine if it works for you - but for me, it really doesn't match the energy of the world around us.

So, if you struggle at this time, don't be too harsh on yourself - maybe you're still in the middle of winter, and not quite ready to wake up yet.

We have evolved from our environment, maybe it makes sense to go with it rather than fight it?