Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Twice a year, the earth moves into a position where the sun's vertical rays are striking the equator.  On those days, there is equal daylight and dark all over the planet. March 20 is called the vernal equinox, from the Latin equi, meaning equal. We call it the first day of spring. And Spring arose on the garden fair, Like the Spirit of Love felt  everywhere; And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast rose from the  dreams of its wintry rest.                                                            —Percy Bysshe Shelley

The word equinox comes from the Latin words meaning “equal night.” Days and nights are 12 hours everywhere and the Sun rises and sets due east and west.  It happens because of the Earth's position in its annual journey around the Sun.  It marks the first day of spring.  Now, the days will get longer and hopefully, warmer.  We have had a mean winter, and everyone I know is tired of it. We had an ice storm on March 5/6, and we pray we don't see another one until 2031 or thereabouts.  We have had enough rain to cause flooding, and a few days that made us remember that spring is possible.  It is one of the joys of living in North Alabama. In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. -Margaret Atwood