04: Vernal Equinox Day ( March 21st )
Vernal Equinox Day (春分の日 Shunbun no Hi) is the day when the sun crosses the equator from south to north. In 2007 the Vernal Equinox takes place on March 21st. On this day the night and the day are exactly the same in length, so 12 hours each. From this day on the days gradually become longer and the nights become shorter.
One says that after Vernal Equinox Day “the chill of winter finally disappears” and in general temperatures do start to rise from this day on. Cherry blossoms, marking the beginning of spring in Japan, often begin to bloom from around this time. They start to bloom in the southern parts of the country first and gradually move up north as temperatures increase.
Shunbun no Hi is a national holiday in Japan and it is considered to be a day to spend with nature and to express our affection for all living things. The seven-day period surrounding the Vernal Equinox Day (彼岸 Higan) is a time when Japanese pay respects to their ancestors (just like New Year’s Day and Obon). They visit their family graves to clean them and to offer flowers and incense to the ancestral spirits.
