Friday, March 20 is the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
Spring is a season. There are four seasons in a year, spring, summer, autumn and winter. Each season is marked by different weather and hours of daylight.
It's easy to know when spring is on the way. The Sun rises earlier in the morning and sets later in the day. The days also start to get warmer.
In the UK we say, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, meaning the start of March is usually wet and cold (the lion), while the end of the month, when spring begins, is mild and pleasant (the lamb).
The first day of spring is an equinox - one of two days a year when The Sun shines directly on the equator. On these special days, day and night are the same length of time.
Equinoxes are not to be confused with solstices. Solstices are opposite on either side of the equator, so the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.
The June solstice is the longest day of the year for people in the Northern Hemisphere, north of the equator. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year; it is the day with the least amount of daylight.
In the Southern Hemisphere the first day of spring is in September.
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