Spring Equinox 2025: The First Day of Spring

As of today, Thursday (March 20, 2025), we officially have spring due to the Spring Equinox occurring at 11:01 AM Greek time (Eastern European Time), even though the weather remains unstable with local showers and storms. The Spring Equinox is an astronomical phenomenon where day and night are approximately equal in duration. However, this equality doesn’t apply to our region since it only holds true for areas directly on the equator. In Greece, the equal day-night condition may occur a few days before or after the equinox. This phenomenon occurs because of Earth’s orbit around the Sun and its tilted axis of rotation. As Earth orbits the Sun and its axis isn’t perpendicular to its orbital plane, the length of the day changes. Twice a year, Earth aligns such that the Sun’s rays fall vertically on the equator. It’s worth noting that all planets in the solar system with a tilted rotational axis exhibit this equinox phenomenon. The equinoxes—spring and autumn—mark the beginning of spring and fall, while solstices—summer and winter—indicate the start of summer and winter respectively. The spring equinox consistently falls on March 20th or 21st in the Northern Hemisphere, including Greece. After the equinox, days grow longer and nights shorter until the summer solstice on June 21st. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, the March equinox signals the start of fall, known there as the autumnal equinox. Additionally, the transition to daylight saving time occurs alongside spring, happening this year on Sunday (March 30, 2025). At 3 AM that Sunday, clocks should be moved forward by one hour to 4 AM. Daylight saving time will last until October 26, 2025. Greece first implemented this time change in 1932 for energy conservation, although it has sparked controversy in recent years.