View source for Spring (season)

{{short description|One of the Earth's four temperate seasons}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox temperate season
|title=Spring
|image=XN Fruehjahrswiese 00.jpg
|caption=Blooming flowers and trees in spring
|sdate1=23 September – 22 December
|sdate2=1 September – 30 November
|sdate3=1 August – 31 October
|ndate1=21 March – 21 June
|ndate2=1 March – 31 May
|ndate3=1 February – 30 April
}}
{{Weather}}
'''Spring''', also known as '''springtime''', is one of the four [[temperate]] [[season]]s, succeeding [[winter]] and preceding [[summer]]. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. When it is spring in the [[Northern Hemisphere]], it is [[autumn]] in the [[Southern Hemisphere]] and vice versa. At the spring [[equinox]], also called the vernal equinox, [[Daytime (astronomy)|days]] and nights are approximately twelve hours long, with daytime length increasing and nighttime length decreasing as the season progresses until the summer [[solstice]]. The spring equinox is in March in the Northern Hemisphere and in September in the Southern Hemisphere, while the summer solstice is in June in the Northern Hemisphere and in December in the Southern Hemisphere.

Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth. [[Subtropical]] and [[tropical]] areas have climates better described in terms of other seasons, e.g. dry or wet, monsoonal or cyclonic. Cultures may have local names for seasons which have little equivalence to the terms originating in Europe.

==Etymology==
According to the ''Online Etymological Dictionary'', "spring" in the sense of the season comes from phrases such as "springing time" (14th century) and "the spring of the year". This use is from an archaic noun meaning "act or time of springing or appearing; the first appearance; the beginning, birth, rise, or origin". Spring as a word in general appeared via the [[Middle English]] ''springen'', via the [[Old English]] ''springan''. These were verbs meaning to rise up or to burst forth, (see also the modern German ''springen'' 'jump') and are not believed to have originally related to the season.  These all originate from [[Proto-Germanic]] *sprenganan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Etymology of Spring |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/spring |website=etymonline.com |access-date=14 March 2024}}</ref>

==Meteorological reckoning==
{{further|Meteorological seasons}}

[[Meteorologist]]s generally define four seasons in many climatic areas: spring, summer, autumn (fall), and winter. These are determined by the values of their average temperatures on a monthly basis, with each season lasting three calendar months. The three warmest months are by definition [[summer]], the three coldest months are [[winter]], and the intervening gaps are spring and [[autumn]]. Meteorological spring can therefore, start on different dates in different regions.

In the [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom]], spring months are March, April, and May.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Spring |title=Spring|work=Glossary of Meteorology|access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Met Office: Spring|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/seasons/spring|access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref>

In [[Ireland]], following the [[Irish calendar]], spring is often defined as February, March, and April.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.durbanresidence.com/blog/seasons-in-ireland/|title=Get ready for the seasons in Ireland|website=www.durbanresidence.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/when-does-spring-really-start-1299726-Feb2014/|title=Column: When does spring really start? Let's clear this is up once and for all.|first=Conor|last=Farrell|website=TheJournal.ie|date=5 February 2014 }}</ref>

In [[Sweden]], meteorologists define the beginning of spring as the first occasion on which the average 24 hours temperature exceeds zero degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days, thus the date varies with latitude and elevation (but no earlier than 15 February, and no later than 31 July).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smhi.se/en/weather/observations/season-map/ |title=Season arrival dates, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute|access-date=20 March 2023}}</ref>

In [[Australia]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Australian Bureau of Meteorology – Climate Glossary – Seasons|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/glossary/seasons.shtml|website=Australian Bureau of Meteorology|publisher=bom.gov.au|access-date=18 March 2022}}</ref> [[New Zealand]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gorman |first1=Paul |date=2 September 2019 |title=When does spring officially start in NZ? It's complicated |work=Stuff |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/115457756/when-does-spring-officially-start-in-nz-its-complicated |access-date=18 December 2023}}</ref> [[South Africa]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/western-and-southern-parts-of-south-africa-had-a-colder-june-and-july-this-winter-b63a43bd-094c-4a9d-aac8-567f026445fb |title=Western and southern parts of South Africa had a colder June and July this winter |first=Thobeka |last=Ngema |date=23 August 2023 |website=[[Independent Online]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://southafrica-info.com/land/south-africa-weather-climate/#:~:text=Spring%20%E2%80%93%20September%2C%20October%2C%20November&text=In%20spring%20South%20Africa%20warms,typical%20of%20its%20Mediterranean%20climate | title=South Africa's weather and climate | date=28 February 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/weather/1-september-is-technically-not-spring-day/ | title=1 September: Today is technically not 'Spring Day' | date=September 2022 }}</ref> and [[Brazil]] the spring months are September, October, and November.

==Astronomical and solar reckoning==
In the Northern Hemisphere (with countries such as Germany, the United States, Canada, and the UK),<ref>{{cite web |title=Met Office: Spring|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/seasons/spring|access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref> solar reckoning was traditionally used with the solstices and equinoxes representing the midpoints of each season, however, the astronomical [[March equinox|vernal equinox]] (varying between 19 and 21 March) can be taken to mark the first day of spring with the [[summer solstice]] (around 21 June) marked as first day of summer. By [[Season#Solar|solar]] reckoning, Spring is held to begin 1 February until the first day of Summer on [[May Day]], with the summer and winter solstices being marked as [[Midsummer]] and [[Midwinter]] respectively, instead of as the beginning of the season as is the case with astronomical reckoning. 

In Persian culture the first day of spring is the first day of the first month (called [[Farvardin]]) which begins on 20 or 21 March.

In the [[Chinese calendar|traditional Chinese calendar]], the [[Chun (season)|"spring" season]] ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|春}}}}) consists of the days between [[Lichun]] (3–5 February), taking [[Chunfen]] (20–22 March) as its midpoint, then ending at [[Lixia]] (5–7 May). Similarly, according to the [[Celtic tradition]], which is based solely on daylight and the strength of the noon sun, spring begins in early February (near [[Imbolc]] or [[Candlemas]]) and continues until early May ([[Beltane]]), with [[Saint Patrick's Day]] (17 March) being regarded as the middle day of spring.<ref name="Danaher">{{cite book |last=Danaher |first=Kevin |date=1972 |title=The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs |location=Dublin |publisher=Mercier |isbn=1-85635-093-2 |page=65}}</ref> Late [[Roman Republic]] scholar [[Marcus Terentius Varro]] defined spring as lasting from the seventh day before the [[Roman calendar#Days|Ides]] of [[Februarius]] (7 February) to the eighth day before the Ides of [[Maius]] (8 May).<ref name="Varro37BC">{{cite wikisource |author=Varro |author-link=Varro |title=Res Rusticae (Country Matters) |volume=Book 1 |orig-date=c. 37 BCE |plainchapter=4 Concerning the Agricultural Seasons}}</ref>

The spring season in [[India]] is culturally in the months of March and April, with an average temperature of approx 32&nbsp;°C.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gupshups.org/seasons-in-india/|title=Seasons in India {{!}} Different types of seasons in India with months|website=gupshups|date=October 2019}}</ref> Some people in India especially from Karnataka state celebrate their new year in spring, [[Ugadi]].

==Ecological reckoning==
The beginning of spring is not always determined by fixed calendar dates. The [[Phenology|phenological]] or [[Ecology|ecological]] definition of spring relates to biological indicators, such as the blossoming of a range of plant species, the activities of animals, and the special smell of soil that has reached the temperature for micro [[flora]] to flourish. These indicators, along with the beginning of spring, vary according to the local [[climate]] and according to the specific [[weather]] of a particular year.{{Cn|date=August 2022}} In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the [[National Trust]] runs the #[[BlossomWatch]] campaign, which encourages people to share images of blossom with one another, as an early indicator of the arrival of the season.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-04-24 |title=Blossom watch day: National Trust urges UK to share blooms |url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/24/blossom-watch-day-national-trust-urges-uk-to-share-blooms |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

Some ecologists divide the year into six seasons. In addition to spring, ecological reckoning identifies an earlier separate prevernal (early or pre-spring) season between the hibernal (winter) and vernal (spring) seasons. This is a time when only the hardiest flowers like the crocus are in bloom, sometimes while there is still some snowcover on the ground.<ref>{{cite web | author = Allaby, Michael | title = A Dictionary of Zoology | year = 1999 | url = http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-prevernal.html | access-date= 30 May 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130602225322/http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-prevernal.html | archive-date = 2 June 2013 | url-status=live}}</ref>

==Natural events==
[[File:1950- Springtime average temperature changes - US contiguous 48.svg|thumb|As a result of [[Climate change|global warming]], average springtime temperatures have risen in the 48 contiguous US states since the middle of the 20th century.<ref name=YahooNews_20250320>{{cite news |last1=Bebernes |first1=Mike |title=How climate change is making spring warmer, rainier and earlier |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/how-climate-change-is-making-spring-warmer-rainier-and-earlier-213740724.html |agency=Yahoo News |date=20 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322223840/https://www.yahoo.com/news/how-climate-change-is-making-spring-warmer-rainier-and-earlier-213740724.html |archive-date=22 March 2025 |url-status=live }} News source cites data source: NOAA.</ref>]]
[[File:Camino entre el bosque de cerezos en flor.jpg|thumb|right|Hundreds of [[Prunus cerasus|sour cherry]] blooming in [[Extremadura]], [[Spain]], during spring]]
[[File:Chablais.jpg|thumb|Late April in the [[Alps]]. At high elevations<ref>[https://hydrologicalatlas.ch/downloads/01/content/Tafel_311.pdf "Mean Snow Depths, 1983–2002" (maps, see April)], [https://hydrologicalatlas.ch ''Hydrological Atlas of Switzerland''], [[Federal Office for the Environment]]</ref> (or latitudes),<ref>{{cite journal |date= June 1999 |title=Snow Depth on Arctic Sea Ice |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241392751 |journal=[[Journal of Climate]] |volume=12 |issue= 6|pages=1814–1829 |doi=10.1175/1520-0442(1999)012<1814:SDOASI>2.0.CO;2 |bibcode=1999JCli...12.1814W |access-date=6 May 2021 |quote=The deepest snow is just north of Greenland and Ellesmere Island, peaking in early June at more than 40 cm|last1=Warren |first1=Stephen G. |last2=Rigor |first2=Ignatius G. |last3=Untersteiner |first3=Norbert |last4=Radionov |first4=Vladimir F. |last5=Bryazgin |first5=Nikolay N. |last6=Aleksandrov |first6=Yevgeniy I. |last7=Colony |first7=Roger |doi-access=free }}</ref> spring is often the snowiest period of the year.]]
	
[[File:Spring in Stockholm 2016 (2).jpg|thumb|A [[willow]] in [[Stockholm]] in April 2016]]
[[File:Kevadkülv.jpg|thumb|[[Sowing]] at spring in [[Estonia]]]]

[[File:Spring season in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture; April 2017 (15).jpg|thumb|Blooming trees of [[Cherry blossom]] in [[Japan]]]]
During early spring, the axis of the [[Earth]] is increasing its tilt relative to the Sun, and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. The hemisphere begins to warm significantly, causing new plant growth to "spring forth", giving the season its name.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hiskey |first1=Daven |title=Why Do We Call the Seasons Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter? |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/52813/how-did-seasons-get-their-names |website=Mental Floss |access-date=8 August 2019 |date=26 September 2013}}</ref>

Any [[snow]] begins to melt, swelling streams with [[Surface runoff|runoff]] and any [[frost]]s become less severe. In climates that have no snow, and rare frosts, air and ground temperatures increase more rapidly.

Many flowering plants bloom at this time of year, in a long succession, sometimes beginning when snow is still on the ground and continuing into early summer.<ref>{{cite web |title=How do flowers bloom? |url=http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=1909 |website=UCSB Science Line |publisher=[[University of California, Santa Barbara|UC Santa Barbara]] |access-date=9 August 2019 |date=25 December 2008}}</ref> In normally snowless areas, "spring" may begin as early as February (Northern Hemisphere) or August (Southern Hemisphere), heralded by the blooming of deciduous magnolias, cherries, and quince.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lelong-Lehoang |first1=Claire |title=Flower trees – top 5 spring-blooming shrubs and trees |url=https://www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/trees-that-bloom-in-spring.html |website=Nature & Garden |access-date=9 September 2019 |date=11 October 2019}}</ref> Many temperate areas have a dry spring, and wet autumn (fall), which brings about flowering in this season, more consistent with the need for water, as well as warmth. [[Subarctic]] areas may not experience "spring" at all until May.

While spring is a result of the warmth caused by the changing orientation of the Earth's axis relative to the Sun, the weather in many parts of the world is affected by other, less predictable events. The rainfall in spring (or any season) follows trends more related to longer cycles—such as the [[solar cycle]]—or events created by ocean currents and ocean temperatures—for example, the [[El Niño]] effect and the [[Southern Oscillation Index]].

Unstable spring weather may occur more often when warm air begins to invade from lower [[latitude]]s, while cold air is still pushing from the [[Polar region]]s. Flooding is also most common in and near mountainous areas during this time of year, because of snow-melt which is accelerated by warm rains. In North America, [[Tornado Alley]] is most active at this time of year, especially since the [[Rocky Mountains]] prevent the surging hot and cold air masses from spreading eastward, and instead force them into direct conflict. Besides [[tornado]]es, [[supercell|supercell thunderstorm]]s can also produce dangerously large [[hail]] and very high winds, for which a [[severe thunderstorm warning]] or [[tornado warning]] is usually issued. Even more so than in winter, the [[jet stream]]s play an important role in unstable and severe Northern Hemisphere weather in springtime.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/jetstream/jet|title=NWS JetStream – The Jet Stream|first=NOAA|last=US Department of Commerce|website=www.weather.gov}}</ref>

In recent decades, [[season creep]] has been observed, which means that many [[phenology|phenological]] signs of spring are occurring earlier in many regions by around two days per decade.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

Spring in the Southern Hemisphere is different{{how|date=September 2023}} in several significant ways to that of the Northern Hemisphere for several reasons, including:
#There is no land bridge between [[Southern Hemisphere]] countries and the [[Antarctic]] zone capable of bringing in cold air without the temperature-mitigating effects of extensive tracts of water;
#The vastly greater amount of ocean in the Southern Hemisphere at most latitudes;
#There is a circumpolar flow of air (''[[Roaring Forties|the roaring 40s and 50s]]'') uninterrupted by large land masses;
#No equivalent jet streams; and
#The peculiarities of the reversing ocean currents in the Pacific.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/ElNino|title=El Niño: Pacific Wind and Current Changes Bring Warm, Wild Weather|date=14 February 2017|website=earthobservatory.nasa.gov}}</ref>

==Cultural associations==
[[File:Divine female personification of Yenningtha ("spring season" in Meitei language) in Meitei mythology and folklore of Kangleipak (Manipur).jpg|thumb|Divine female [[personification]] of {{langnf|mni|[[Yenning-tha|Yenningtha]]|spring season}} in [[Meitei mythology]] and [[Meitei folklore|folklore]]]]
[[File:Holi at Basantapur-0272.jpg|thumb|[[Holi]] in Nepal]]

===Carnival===
{{main|Carnival}}
{{Further|Mardi Gras}}
Carnival is practiced by many [[Christians]] around the world in the days before [[Lent]] (40 days, without Sundays, before Easter).  It is the first spring festival of the new year for many.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/common/carnival-wednesday|title=Carnival / Ash Wednesday|website=www.timeanddate.com}}</ref>

===Easter===
{{Main|Easter}}
[[File:Traditional Easter Sunday.jpg|thumb|upright|Easter procession, commemorating the [[Resurrection of Jesus]]]]
Easter is the most important religious feast in the Christian [[liturgical year]].<ref>[[Anthony Aveni]], "The Easter/Passover Season: Connecting Time's Broken Circle", ''The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 64–78.</ref>
Christians believe that [[Jesus]] was [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrected]] from the dead on the "third day"<ref group="note">This resurrection is commonly said to have occurred "on the third day after resting for the Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown), including the day of crucifixion." (e.g. Luke 24:21 KJV)</ref> (two days ''after'' his [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucifixion]]), and celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day, two days after [[Good Friday]]. Since the [[Last Supper]] was a [[Passover Seder]], the date of Easter can be calculated as the first Sunday after the start of Passover. This is usually (see [[#Passover|Passover]] below) the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. The date of [[Easter]] varies between 22 March and 25 April (which corresponds to between 4 April and 8 May in the [[Gregorian Calendar]] for the [[Eastern Orthodox|Eastern]] and [[Oriental Orthodox]] Churches using the [[Julian Calendar]]). In this celebration, the children do an easter egg hunt.

===May Day===
{{Main| May Day}}
{{Further|Beltane}}
The First of May is the date of many [[public holiday]]s.<ref>Anthony Aveni, "May Day: A Collision of Forces", ''The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays'' (Oxford: [[Oxford University Press]], 2004), 79–89.</ref> In many countries, May Day is synonymous with [[International Workers' Day]], or [[Labour Day]], which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the [[labour movement]]. As a day of celebration, the holiday has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times. Many of these customs are due to May Day being a [[cross-quarter day]], meaning that (in the [[Northern Hemisphere]] where it is almost exclusively celebrated) it falls approximately halfway between the [[spring equinox (Northern Hemisphere)|spring equinox]] and [[summer solstice]]. In the Celtic tradition, this date marked the end of spring and the beginning of summer.

===Passover===
{{Main|Passover}}
The Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of [[Nisan]], which typically falls in March or April of the [[Gregorian calendar]] on the night of a [[full moon]] after the northern [[March equinox|spring equinox]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meteor.wisc.edu/~hopkins/dstreme/97easter.htm|title=Full Moon, Easter & Passover|website=University of Wisconsin|first=Edward J.|last=Hopkins|year=1996|access-date=April 10, 2017}}</ref> However, due to [[Intercalation (timekeeping)|leap months]] falling after the vernal equinox, Passover sometimes starts on the second full moon after vernal equinox, as in 2016. Jewish people celebrate this holiday to commemorate their escape from slavery in [[Egypt]] as described in the book of [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] in the [[Torah]].
Foods consumed during [[Passover seder]]s, such as lamb and barley, are tied to springtime seasonal availability. In this celebration, children recite the [[Ma Nishtana|Four Questions]] during the seder and hunt for the [[afikoman]] afterwards.

===Allhallowtide===
The [[Western Christian Church|Western Christian]] season encompassing the [[triduum]] of All Saints' Eve ([[Halloween]]), [[All Saints' Day]] (All Hallows') and [[All Souls' Day]] are observed in the spring in the [[Southern hemisphere]].

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em|content=* [[Akitu]] (Ancient Mesopotamia, Sumer, Babylonia)
* [[Bihu]] (India)
* [[Chinese New Year]]
* [[Floriade (Canberra)|Floriade]] (Australia)
* [[Holi]] (India, Nepal)
* [[Mărțișor]] (Romania)
* [[Nowruz]] (Iran)
* [[Pahela Falgun]] (Bangladesh)
* [[Saint Patrick's Day]] (Northern Hemisphere)
* [[Sham el-Nessim]] (Egypt)
* [[Sinhala New Year]] (Sri Lanka)
* [[Spring break]]
* [[Spring Carnival]] (Australia)
* [[Spring cleaning]]
* [[Spring Day]] (Many countries)
* [[St Brigid's Day]] (Ireland)
* [[Tết]] (Vietnam)
* [[Vasant panchami]] (India)}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links 
 |1= |collapsible= |display= Spring|author=no |commonscat=no|c=Spring  |n=Spring |q=Spring |s=Spring |wikt=Spring |d=y|b=no|m= no|mw= no  |species= no |species_author=no  |v= no |voy=no }}
*[http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/Words/#spring Word Lore]
*[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Spring&searchmode=term Online Etymology Dictionary]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120315161510/http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?id=spring1 Glossary of Meteorology] (archived 15 March 2012)
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110707155142/http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/2011.shtml Solstice, Equinox & Cross-Quarter Moments for 2011 and other years, for several time zones]}} (archived 7 July 2011)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071013000301/http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/EarthSeasons.php Earth's Seasons, Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion, 2000–2020] (from the [[United States Naval Observatory]]'s Astronomical Applications Department) (archived 13 October 2007)
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20030304154421/http://archaeoastronomy.com/seasons.html Seasons and Seasonal Cusps as Pagan and Religious Holidays]}} (from {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150316061853/http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/index.shtml Archaeoastronomy]}})
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4767522.stm What day does spring start?] (BBC, UK News Magazine)
*[https://www.usanpn.org/data/phenology_maps Status of Spring] – Maps of Spring Leaf and Bloom Indices for the United States
*{{cite web |last=Tunno |first=Bianca Barr |title=What's the difference between meteorological and astronomical spring? |website=AccuWeather |url=https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/whats-the-difference-between-meteorological-and-astronomical-spring/335725 |access-date=1 March 2020}}

{{Seasons}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spring (Season)}}
[[Category:Spring (season)| ]]