Spring Has Sprung, As The Poets Say.
Written By: Sierra Cassity
Today, March 20th 2025 marks the first day of spring. I have a tenuous relationship with this time of year. While I love the fresh flowers and warmth, growing up in Wyoming spring brings memories of blizzards, high winds, and a few 50 degree days full of sliding around in the mud.
While spring does have its advantages, mostly in the form of shedding the winter blues and getting back to work, I have wanted to dive into the history of spring to find out how we as humans have become so connected to it.
Spring Through The Ages.
The Ancient Greeks.
“μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ mía khelidṑn éar ou poieî,” or “one swallow does not a spring make, nor one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy.” -Aristotle
One myth certainly comes to mind when thinking of the changing seasons. The myth of Persephone. Daughter of Demeter the Goddess of agriculture, fertility, and the earth. Wife of Hades, God of the underworld, Zeus and Poseidon’s brother. Depending on the rendition of the tale, she is stolen away or goes willingly but in both Demeter grieves her daughter, so much so that the earth begins to fail, crops failing and days darkening quicker with a chill in the air. Eventually if memory serves Persephone is forced to go back to earth for summer and help her mother with taking care of the world and in other tales forced to return in the fall.
I’m sure there were plenty of spring celebrations back in the day and some that have withstood the test of time. Like the festival, Anthesteria which is still celebrated in some regions of Greece today.
Anglo-Saxon.
Ostara-the spring equinox has long been celebrated by Anglo-Saxons. The word itself is derived from the Anglo-Saxon goddess, Eostre, a fertility goddess. Ostara is largely celebrated as the beginning of the harvest season, the rebirth of earth. I like to picture it as a celebration before the hard work of the season for survival begins anew. A moment to gather after a long winter and enjoy the pretense of other humans.
Celtic.
Alban Eilir, also considered the middle of the three spring celebrations is when the goddess of spring was believed to be rousing from her winter slumber. She would wake fully at Beltane, the summer solstice. Alban Eilir is the balance of days, having the long winter nights shorten as the daylight begins to linger.
Spring is Everywhere.
While the Persians celebrate their new year on the spring equinox, and Guatemala celebrates Holy Week there are plenty of different ways people enjoy the changing seasons all over the world. I celebrate by entering a new season of work at the greenhouse, planting babies and preparing for the onslaught of customers that are just a page away on the calendar. Christians often consider that Easter is the beginning of spring with Jesus and his rebirth.
I find it interesting that all of these spring celebrations consistently celebrate rebirth. It’s a constant with spring that all throughout history and the ever changing religions the idea of rebirth has stayed the same. I believe that it has to do with the imagery the earth gives us every spring. Life renowned as the snow melts, and flowers begin to bud. People begin opening their windows and doing some spring cleaning. We, alongside the earth itself are reborn each year. There’s something poetic about it.
