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+#REDIRECT [[Spring]]
-{{short description|One of the Earth's four temperate seasons, occurring between winter and summer}}
-{{Other uses|Spring (disambiguation){{!}}Spring}}
-[[File:Colorful spring garden.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Colorful spring [[garden]] flowers]]
-{{Weather}}
-'''Spring''' is one of the four [[Temperate climate|temperate]] [[season]]s, following [[winter]] and preceding [[summer]]. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. When it is spring in the [[Northern Hemisphere]], it is [[autumn]] in the [[Southern Hemisphere]] and vice versa. At the spring (or vernal) [[equinox]], [[Daytime (astronomy)|days]] and nights are approximately twelve hours long, with day length increasing and night length decreasing as the season progresses.
-Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth. [[Subtropical]] and [[tropical]] areas have climates better described in terms of other seasons, e.g. dry or wet, monsoonal or cyclonic. Cultures may have local names for seasons which have little equivalence to the terms originating in Europe.
-== Meteorological reckoning ==
-Meteorologists generally define four seasons in many climatic areas: spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter. These are demarcated by the values of their average temperatures on a monthly basis, with each season lasting three months. The three warmest months are by definition summer, the three coldest months are winter and the intervening gaps are spring and autumn. Spring, when defined in this manner, can start on different dates in different regions.
-Thus, in the [[United States|US]] and [[United Kingdom|UK]], spring months are March, April and May,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Spring |title=Spring|work=Glossary of Meteorology|accessdate=5 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Met Office: Spring|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/seasons/spring|accessdate=5 March 2018}}</ref> while in [[New Zealand]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/content/poll-do-you-want-dates-our-seasons-changed |title=Do you want the dates of our seasons changed? |publisher=New Zealand weatherwatch |accessdate=2014-05-09}}</ref> and [[Australia]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Climate Glossary - Seasons|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/glossary/seasons.shtml|website=Australian Bureau of Meteorology|publisher=bom.gov.au|accessdate=2018-03-30}}</ref> spring conventionally begins on September 1 and ends November 30.
-[[Sweden|Swedish]] meteorologists define the beginning of spring as the first occasion on which the average daytime temperature exceeds zero degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days, thus the date varies with latitude and elevation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/18200/20090313 |title=Sweden braces for warm spring weather |publisher=Thelocal.se |date= |accessdate=2013-01-07}}</ref>
-==Astronomical and solar reckoning==
-[[File:Equinozio da Pizzo Vento,tramonto fondachelli fantina, sicilia.JPG|thumb|alt=blue sky and sun setting behind mountain|Astronomical [[vernal equinox]] seen from the site of Pizzo Vento at [[Fondachelli-Fantina|Fondachelli Fantina]], [[Sicily]]]]
-In some cultures in the Northern Hemisphere (e.g. Germany), the astronomical [[March equinox|vernal equinox]] (varying between 19 and 21 March) is taken to mark the first day of spring, and the [[summer solstice]] (around 21 June) is taken as the first day of summer. In Persian culture the first day of spring is the first day of the first month (called [[Farvardin]]) which begins on 20 or 21 March. In other traditions, the equinox is taken as mid-spring.
-In the [[Chinese calendar|traditional Chinese calendar]], the [[Chun (season)|"spring" season]] ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|春}}}}) consists of the days between [[Lichun]] (February 3–5), taking [[Chunfen]] (March 20–22) as its midpoint, then ending at [[Lixia]] (May 5–7). Similarly, according to the [[Celtic tradition]], which is based solely on daylight and the strength of the noon sun, spring begins in early February (near [[Imbolc]] or [[Candlemas]]) and continues until early May ([[Beltane]]).
-==Ecological reckoning==
-The beginning of spring is not always determined by fixed calendar dates. The [[Phenology|phenological]] or [[Ecology|ecological]] definition of spring relates to biological indicators, such as the blossoming of a range of plant species, the activities of animals, and the special smell of soil that has reached the temperature for micro [[flora]] to flourish. These indicators, along with the beginning of spring, vary according to the local [[climate]] and according to the specific [[weather]] of a particular year. Some ecologists divide the year into six seasons.<ref>{{cite web | author = Michael Allaby | title = A Dictionary of Zoology | year = 1999 | url = http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-prevernal.html | accessdate= 2012-05-30}}</ref>  In addition to spring, ecological reckoning identifies an earlier separate '''prevernal''' (early or pre-spring) season between the hibernal (winter) and vernal (spring) seasons. This is a time when only the hardiest flowers like the crocus are in bloom, sometimes while there is still some snowcover on the ground.<ref>{{cite web | author = Michael Allaby | title = A Dictionary of Zoology | year = 1999 | url = http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-prevernal.html | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130602225322/http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-prevernal.html | archivedate = 2013-06-02 | accessdate= 2012-05-30}}</ref>
-==Natural events==
-[[File:Camino entre el bosque de cerezos en flor.jpg|thumb|right|Hundreds of [[Prunus cerasus|sour cherry]] blooming in [[Extremadura]], [[Spain]], during spring]]
-[[File:Teva 17 3 (69).JPG|thumb|A blooming field of [[garland chrysanthemum]], a typical spring flower in [[Israel]]]]
-[[File:Spring in Stockholm 2016 (2).jpg|thumb|A [[willow]] in [[Stockholm]] in April 2016]]
-During early spring, the axis of the Earth is increasing its tilt relative to the Sun, and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. The hemisphere begins to warm significantly, causing new plant growth to "spring forth," giving the season its name. <ref>Hiskey, Daven (26 September 2013).  [http://mentalfloss.com/article/52813/how-did-seasons-get-their-names "Why Do We Call the Seasons Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter?"].  ''[[Mental Floss|MentalFloss.com]]''.  Retrieved 8 August 2019.</ref>
-Any [[snow]] begins to melt, swelling streams with [[Surface runoff|runoff]] and any [[frost]]s become less severe. In climates that have no snow, and rare frosts, air and ground temperatures increase more rapidly.
-Many flowering plants bloom at this time of year, in a long succession, sometimes beginning when snow is still on the ground and continuing into early summer.<ref>[http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=1909 "How Do Flowers Bloom?"] (15 December 2008).  ''ScienceLine.[[University of California, Santa Barbara|UCSB]].edu''.  Retrieved 9 August 2019.</ref> In normally snowless areas, "spring" may begin as early as February (Northern Hemisphere) or August (Southern Hemisphere), heralded by the blooming of deciduous magnolias, cherries, and quince. <ref>[https://www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/trees-that-bloom-in-spring.html "Top 5 Spring-Blooming Trees."]  ''Nature-and-Garden.com''.  Retrieved 9 September 2019.</ref> Many temperate areas have a dry spring, and wet autumn (fall), which brings about flowering in this season, more consistent with the need for water, as well as warmth. [[Subarctic]] areas may not experience "spring" at all until May.
-While spring is a result of the warmth caused by the changing orientation of the Earth's axis relative to the Sun, the weather in many parts of the world is affected by other, less predictable events. The rainfall in spring (or any season) follows trends more related to longer cycles&mdash;such as the [[solar cycle]]&mdash;or events created by ocean currents and ocean temperatures&mdash;for example, the [[El Niño]] effect and the [[Southern Oscillation Index]].
-Unstable spring weather may occur more often when warm air begins to invade from lower [[latitude]]s, while cold air is still pushing from the [[Polar region]]s. Flooding is also most common in and near mountainous areas during this time of year, because of snow-melt which is accelerated by warm rains. In North America, [[Tornado Alley]] is most active at this time of year, especially since the [[Rocky Mountains]] prevent the surging hot and cold air masses from spreading eastward, and instead force them into direct conflict. Besides [[tornado]]es, [[supercell|supercell thunderstorm]]s can also produce dangerously large [[hail]] and very high winds, for which a [[severe thunderstorm warning]] or [[tornado warning]] is usually issued. Even more so than in winter, the [[jet stream]]s play an important role in unstable and severe Northern Hemisphere weather in springtime. <ref>https://www.weather.gov/jetstream/jet/</ref>
-In recent decades, [[season creep]] has been observed, which means that many [[phenology|phenological]] signs of spring are occurring earlier in many regions by around two days per decade.{{cn|date=September 2019}}
-Spring in the Southern Hemisphere is different in several significant ways to that of the Northern Hemisphere for several reasons, including:
-#There is no land bridge between [[Southern Hemisphere]] countries and the [[Antarctic]] zone capable of bringing in cold air without the temperature-mitigating effects of extensive tracts of water;
-#The vastly greater amount of ocean in the Southern Hemisphere at most latitudes;
-#At this time in Earth's geologic history the Earth has an orbit which brings it in closer to the Southern Hemisphere for its warmer seasons;
-#There is a circumpolar flow of air (''[[Roaring Forties|the roaring 40s and 50s]]'') uninterrupted by large land masses;
-#No equivalent jet streams; and
-#The peculiarities of the reversing ocean currents in the Pacific. <ref>https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/ElNino</ref>
-==Cultural associations==
-[[File:Celebration stage of 1st day, Spring (Pohela Falgun) at Faculty of Fine arts, University of Dhaka, 13 February, 2014.JPG|thumb|Right|Celebration stage of 1st day of [[Falgun]], beginning of spring season in Bangladesh, 2014]]
-[[File:Holi in Nepal 2016.JPG|thumb|[[Holi]] in Nepal 2016]]
-===Carnival===
-{{main|Carnival}}
-Carnival is practiced by many Christians around the world in the days before [[Lent]] (40 days, without Sundays, before Easter).  It is the first spring festival of the new year for many.  <ref>https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/common/carnival-wednesday</ref>
-===Easter===
-{{Main|Easter}}
-[[File:Unfinished pysanka.jpg|thumb|100px|[[Easter eggs]], such as this Ukrainian one, signify the [[Resurrection of Jesus]].]]
-Easter is the most important religious feast in the Christian [[liturgical year]].<ref>Anthony Aveni, "The Easter/Passover Season: Connecting Time's Broken Circle," ''The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 64–78.</ref>
-Christians believe that [[Jesus]] was [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrected]] from the dead on the "third day"<ref>This resurrection is commonly said to have occurred "on the third day after resting for the Sabbath(Friday sundown to Saturday sundown), including the day of crucifixion." (e.g. Luke 24:21 KJV)</ref> (two days ''after'' his [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucifixion]]), and celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day, two days after [[Good Friday]]. The date of Easter varies between 22 March and 25 April (which corresponds to between 4 April and 8 May in the [[Gregorian Calendar]] for the [[Eastern Orthodox|Eastern]] and [[Oriental Orthodox]] Churches using the [[Julian Calendar]]). In the Southern Hemisphere Easter occurs during [[autumn]].
-===May Day===
-{{Main| May Day}}
-{{Further|Beltane}}
-May is the date of many [[public holiday]]s.<ref>Anthony Aveni, "May Day: A Collision of Forces," ''The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays'' (Oxford: [[Oxford University Press]], 2004), 79–89.</ref> In many countries, May Day is synonymous with [[International Workers' Day]], or [[Labour Day]], which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the [[labour movement]]. As a day of celebration, the holiday has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times. Many of these customs are due to May Day being a [[cross-quarter day]], meaning that (in the [[Northern Hemisphere]] where it is almost exclusively celebrated) it falls approximately halfway between the [[spring equinox]] and [[summer solstice]]. In the Celtic tradition, this date marked the end of spring and the beginning of summer.
-==See also==
-===Related articles===
-* [[Saint Patrick's Day]] (northern hemisphere)
-* [[Spring break]]
-* [[Easter day]] (northern hemisphere)
-* [[Spring cleaning]]
-* [[Akitu]] (ancient Mesopotamia, Sumeria, Babylonia)
-* [[Bihu]] (India)
-* [[Chinese New Year]]
-* [[Floriade (Canberra)|Floriade]] (Australia)
-* [[Holi]] (India, Nepal)
-* [[Imbolc|St Brigid's Day]] (Ireland)
-* [[Mărțișor]] (Romania)
-* [[May Day]] (many countries)
-* [[Nowruz]] (many countries)
-* [[Pahela Falgun]] (Bangladesh)
-* [[Passover]] (Israel)
-* [[Sham el-Nessim]] (Egypt)
-* [[Sinhala New Year]] (Sri Lanka)
-* [[Spring Carnival]] (Australia)
-* [[Spring Day]] (many countries)
-* [[Tết]] (Vietnam)
-* [[Vasant panchami]] (India)
-==References==
-{{Reflist|30em}}
-==External links==
-{{Sister project links
- |1= |collapsible= |display= Spring|author=no |commonscat=no|c=Spring  |n=Spring |q=Spring |s=Spring |wikt=Spring |d=Q1312
-<!-- (Use the value "no" to exclude a project:) -->
- |b=no|m= no|mw= no  |species= no |species_author=no  |v= no |voy=no }}
-*[http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/Words/#spring Word Lore]
-*[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Spring&searchmode=term Online Etymology Dictionary]
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120315161510/http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?id=spring1 Glossary of Meteorology]
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110707155142/http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/2011.shtml Solstice, Equinox & Cross-Quarter Moments for 2011 and other years, for several timezones]
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071013000301/http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/EarthSeasons.php Earth's Seasons, Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion, 2000–2020] (from the [[United States Naval Observatory]]'s Astronomical Applications Department)
-*[http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/seasons.html Seasons and Seasonal Cusps as Pagan and Religious Holidays] (from [http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/index.shtml Archaeoastronomy])
-*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4767522.stm What day does spring start?] (BBC, UK News Magazine)
-*[https://www.usanpn.org/data/phenology_maps Status of Spring] - Maps of Spring Leaf and Bloom Indices for the UNITED STATES
-{{Seasons}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2010}}
-{{Authority control}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Spring (Season)}}
-[[Category:Spring (season)| ]]