2017-03-20 Mon

An equinox is a moment in which the plane of Earth's equator passes through the center of the Sun which occurs twice each year, around 20th March and 23rd September.

In the northern hemisphere, the vernal equinox, conventionally falling on 20th or 21st of March marks the beginning of spring while the autumnal equinox, falling on 22nd or 23rd September, marks the beginning of autumn. In the southern hemisphere, the vernal equinox occurs in September and the autumnal equinox in March. On an equinox, day and night are of approximately of equal durations all over the planet.

Who doesn’t welcome a warmer and colourful spring after a cold and dark winter? Many cultures from across the world celebrate the coming of warmer days in different ways. According to the Persian calendar or Iranian calendars, the vernal equinox is considered as the New Year or as “Nouroz” (new day), and the Hindus celebrate “Holi” marking the end of the chilly winters.

This celestial event is sought with many rituals and traditions. One such is the mysterious and the wonderful Stone Hedge of England. Stonehenge, which is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, has been long considered an important place of worship and celebration during the equinox.

The famous 5,000-year-old site attracts hundreds of Druids and Pagans along with enthusiastic tourists on early march mornings for a ritual of seeing the sunrise above the stones! The spring equinox marks the “turn of the wheel” or the “season of renewal”. The pagans while watching the sun rise above the stone perform fertility rituals and worship Eostre, an ancient Saxon goddess symbolizing fertility and new beginnings.

Isn’t it interesting?
Though it is believed that Stonehenge has been a burial and religious site since it was first built, nothing is known of any specific rituals which might have taken place there in prehistoric times. However, in the 1870s visitors started going to the monument on the night of the Summer Solstice - when the rising sun casts its first rays into the middle of the circle. Some people claim to have resurrected the ancient practices of the Celtic druids.

We don’t exactly know how it started, but it is a practice today! And each year for four days, on the spring and autumn equinox and the summer and winter solstice, people are allowed right in middle of the stone circle. Experiencing this ancient site from so close will be an item on your to-do list! Till then…Collect the awesome stamps depicting Stone Hedge that are there!