Spring! 24 Facts About Everyone’s Favorite Season

The results are in — 33% of Americans say spring is their favorite season. We couldn’t agree more. The weather is perfect, the trees are blooming, and tulips sprout from their bulbs just waiting to greet you — what’s not to love? In honor of spring’s arrival, we’re sharing a few facts (well 24 to be exact) about everyone’s (or at least 106 million people’s) favorite season — spring!

1. This year, the first day of spring will be on Monday, March 20.
2. The first day of spring is known as the vernal equinox.
3. In Latin, the word vernal means “spring” and equinox means “equal night.”
4. The Latin word for “season” is sationem, meaning “seed time.”
5. Spring was formerly referred to as lent, which was changed to springtime around the 1300s, and eventually was shortened to spring. Spring is derived from the time of year when plants begin to grow again or spring from the earth.
6. Attention all lovebirds! We hate to say it, but we may have some bad news for you. According to a Facebook study, early spring is when couples are the most likely to break up.
7. The spring equinox is one of only two times (the other being the fall equinox) when the sun rises due east and sets due west.
8. If you were to stand on the equator during either the spring or fall equinox, you would see the sun pass directly over the top of your head.
9. In the North Pole, the spring equinox marks the start of six months of uninterrupted daylight. Yay!
10. Whereas in the South Pole, the spring equinox marks the start of six months of darkness. Boo!
11. Studies show that babies born in the spring are more likely to be night owls and optimistic.
12. The reason why we have spring (and other seasons) is because of the Earth’s tilt. If the Earth was perfectly perpendicular to the sun there would be no change in seasons or hours of daylight.
13. The reason why Easter changes every year is that it falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox.
14. Usually, the earliest spring flowers to bloom each year are tulips, daffodils, sunflowers, primrose, and lilies.
15. Though the spring equinox isn’t typically until March 20 or 21, most Americans believe that spring unofficially begins on March 1.
16. In Japan, they believe spring begins once their national flower, the cherry blossom, starts to bloom.
17. In Sicily, women travel to the garden of Adonis at the start of each spring. While there, they plant seeds and decorate the garden with a blue and crimson ribbon.
18. Years ago, it became a popular myth that you could balance an egg on its head during the spring equinox. Unfortunately, it’s just a myth.
19. In China, they celebrate the start of spring and the Chinese New Year at the same time because they follow a lunar calendar.
20. “Spring fever” may be a real (and good) thing! Scientists believe that longer days cause people to be more active, creative, and happy.
21. In literary works, spring is often used to represent birth, a revival, and the start of happy and better times.
22. Although baby birds are born with the ability to sing, they usually don’t learn how to until spring, when they hear other birds chirping while looking for a mate.
23. This year’s daylight saving time happens on Sunday, March 12, meaning we’ll “spring forward” one hour that day.
24. Spring holidays include Good Friday, Easter, Passover, April Fool’s Day, Earth Day, Arbor Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Cinco De Mayo, and Holi (festival of colors in India).