Spring in the Northern Hemisphere begins on March 21, coinciding with the equinox that symbolizes equal day and night. Medieval records, like Isidore of Seville's Etymologies, underscore March as the 'month of new things', marking it as the year's beginning. Civil calendars often transitioned the year on March 25, coinciding with the Annunciation, celebrating the Virgin Mary's divine message. This period signified rebirth, tying both religious and observable seasonal changes to the new growth and life associated with Spring, while also highlighting regional demographic perceptions of seasonal shifts.
"In his seventh-century encyclopedia known as the Etymologies, Isidore of Seville wrote that March is 'also called the month of new things... because it is the beginning of the year.'"
"The Annunciation is a Christian holiday falling on March 25, which celebrates the archangel Gabriel's visit to the Virgin Mary, when he told her she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
Collection
[
|
...
]