 |
| Alphons Mucha - Spring |
With the heralding of spring, the approach of summer,
and warmer weather (well, for those of us in the northern hemisphere anyway,) “spring
fever” is a common malady. Some battle pollen, while others look with horror
upon the emergence of roaches, spiders and other creepy crawly hatchlings and
would just as soon the pests stay frozen. Still, most of us happily embrace
this time of year, much as they did in the past.
Our European ancestors greeted the vernal equinox
with gratitude. Like the Autumn Equinox, the Vernal or Northward Equinox is one
of two days a year when the day and night are equal in length. This day marks
the end of a long, cold, and at times, very cruel winter, and the beginning of new
life, spring.
During the vernal equinox, festivals and holidays
take place all over the world. In many parts of Asia this day also marks the New
Year.
Before Christianity took hold, the Scandinavian
people celebrated Dísablόt, meaning the “sacrificial holiday,” which they held
in honor of female deities or the “dísir”
and the beautiful shield maidens, the Valkyries. Dísablόt celebrates the “fertility” of spring and summer which
enhances the fall harvest.
