This year, the vernal equinox falls on Wednesday, March 20. At exactly 21:58 UTC, the sun will be exactly above the Earth’s equator. The word vernal comes from the Latin word vernalis, meaning “of the spring.” And equinox comes from the Latin words aequus, meaning equal, and nox, meaning night. The day has 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night time. In the Northern Hemisphere, the day marks the beginning of spring. On this day, people living in colder areas of the Northern Hemisphere hope they can put away their winter clothes. They also may soon start planting flowers and vegetables in a garden. Here in Washington, D.C., Wednesday also marks the first day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Each year, people from around the world come to see the beautiful pink and white blossoms on the thousands of flowering cherry trees. For Washingtonians, the cherry blossoms are a welcome sign that spring has arrived.
