Roll On, Spring...

To celebrate the arrival of spring last Thursday, I donned my winter parka, had a drink at Allen’s, then promptly got my car stuck in a snowbank which necessitated a call to my parents to come and help push me out (helpful strangers are apparently somewhat of a rarity around the Danforth). Whilst waiting for them, my feet actually began to freeze.

Now I know Easter is early this year (so early that those wily Irish priests changed St. Patrick’s Day to the Saturday before under the pretense that there shouldn’t be carousing on the Monday before Good Friday – drunken revelry was conveniently relocated to a day of the week followed by one that provided a lie-in), but I avoided the annual Beaches Easter Parade yesterday because the forecast was for a temperature below zero.

I know we live in Canada, and we should be used to snow and cold; but it’s bloody southern Canada, almost the southernmost point of Canada – so where the hell is spring?

I didn’t believe old Wiarton Willy on that cloudy day, 7 weeks ago.

However, around the world, others are celebrating the coming of spring; a time of rebirth, new beginnings and awakening from the sleep of winter. Here are a few highlights:

Hanami



In Japan, many cherry blossom viewing parties and festivals are held around this time of year. The Japanese watch the Cherry Blossom Forecast on television stations to know when the blooms are expected to come out in different parts of the country.

Holi



Known as the festival of colour, Holi marks the victory of good over evil. Hindus around the world light bonfires on the first night and throw coloured powder and water at each other the following day.

Vernal Equinox



Thousands of people celebrate the spring equinox by climbing to the top of the Sun Pyramid in Teotihuacan, Mexico, built by the Aztecs. It is thought that the first day of spring brings a special energy to the place.

Easter



Easter is based on the story of Jesus being resurrected from the dead. Non-religious symbols of the holiday, eggs and bunnies, denote symbols of rebirth and fecundity, both markers of spring.










Nowruz

Translated from Farsi, Nowruz means “new day” and is an ancient Persian festival celebrating the new solar year and the beginning of Iran’s calendar year. This year, Iran’s government has given its citizens a special Nowruz gift: strict gas rations have been loosened over the holiday period.

My own personal celebration comes with that first day that you can smell mud in the air - when the last bits of snow are trickling away in rivulets, revealing the dormant earth that lay hidden for so long. When the air is heavier and scented with growth. However you choose to celebrate... happy spring!