In addition to warmer weather, springtime means the approach of religious holidays, such as Easter, Passover, and Eid al-Fitr, as well as Mother's Day and Father's Day.
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Here's everything you need to know about the season change, along with key dates for 2024 to mark on your calendar.
When does spring officially begin for 2024?
Astronomical spring begins on March 19, 2024 at 11:06 pm Eastern Daylight Time, in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the Associated Press. This time also marks the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.
Key holiday dates in spring 2024
- Good Friday is Friday, March 29.
- Easter is Sunday, March 31.
- Eid al-Fitr begins at sundown on Tuesday, April 9.
- Passover begins at sundown on Monday, April 22.
- Earth Day is also Monday, April 22.
- Orthodox Easter is Sunday, May 5.
- Cinco de Mayo is also Sunday, May 5.
- Mother's Day is Sunday, May 12.
- Memorial Day is Monday, May 27.
- Father's Day is Sunday, June 16.
- Shavuot begins at sundown on Tuesday, June 11.
- Juneteenth is on Wednesday, June 19.
- The first day of summer lands on Wednesday, June 20.
What is the vernal equinox?
"Equinox" derived from the Latin word meaning "equal night," according to AccuWeather.
During an equinox, the Earth is positioned with both its axis and its orbit perpendicular to the sun, allowing the sun's rays to aim directly at our planet's equator. As a result, both day and night are 12 hours long around the globe.
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The vernal, or spring, equinox was the first of two for the year: 2024's autumnal, or fall, equinox will occur on Sunday, Sept. 22.
Conversely, solstices mark the most drastic time differences between night and day. In 2024, the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, happens on Thursday, June 20. The top half of the world will experience the shortest day of 2024 during the winter solstice on Saturday, Dec. 21.
RELATED: Can you really balance an egg during the first day of spring?
Editor's note: The video in the media player above was used in a previous report.