by Jhoane Robinson, President
Cedar Bear Naturales

Originally published in March 2020

Attention, Vernalians. (Hmm, is that even a word? Maybe Vernalites is better.) Okay then... Attention Vernalites! Do you know what the name of your town means? Because the Vernal Equinox was this week, I was curious and finally looked it up. Up ‘til now, I’ve kind of felt that the name of Vernal was a bit unlovely. But I was wrong. Vernal is a beautiful word. Vernal, quite literally, means ‘of Spring’. What? This little town that is in the middle of nowhere, (as far at the rest of the world and especially the rest of Utah is concerned), was named ‘Spring?’

A lot of us have been unacquainted with the concept of Equinox, so here goes...

The First Day of Spring is called the ‘Vernal Equinox’. Equinox means ‘equal night’ in Latin, meaning that on the Vernal Equinox, day and night are equal lengths.

Equinox’s happen twice a year, and in the Northern hemisphere, Vernal Equinox falls, or might we say, ‘springs’ between March 19 and March 21. This year it was on March 19th.

Going further on this quest for understanding the standing of Vernal Equinox in our earthly and solar-based years... Every year is divided into four quarters, with Vernal (Spring) Equinox (March 19-21), Summer Solstice (June 21-22), Autumnal (Fall) Equinox (September 22-23), and Winter Solstice (December 21-22), as the main marker dates.

Equinoxes are actually the halfway points between Solstices. Solstice, derived from two Latin words that mean ‘sun stands still’, is the moment when the sun begins to turn the other direction. So the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year.

By the way, it was ancient Greek astronomers who understood even way back then that the world was round and originally named these quarter-year mileposts.

So, now we know that Vernal = Spring, and that every Spring we have a Vernal Equinox. What that means is that each Spring at the Vernal Equinox, we in this little corner of the world are an important part of the turning of the year! Who would’ve known!

So celebrate, fellow Vernalites! Even if our prairie dogs are still shivering in their burrows, Vernal is here!