All around the world, people are celebrating the first equinox of the year in the northern hemisphere. The amount of sunlight in the northern and southern hemispheres is approximately equal as the Sun is positioned above the equator. This traditionally marks the start of spring, where daylight grows longer and the nights grow shorter.
People celebrate this time of year in many different ways. Many cultures have traditional ceremonies to mark the occasion, from festivals to sporting events. Others are just happy to think that winter is over, and spring is on its way.
Here are some of the best images of the equinox from around the world.
Iztapalapa, Mexico
People raise their arms to 'charge themselves with positive energy' during their visit to the Cerro de la Estrella archaeological site in the Iztapalapa,Mexico City, Mexico, to mark the spring equinox in Mexico. Photo taken on 20 March 2023. Photo by Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto/Getty Images
London, United Kingdom
Members of the Druid Order take part in a celebration of the spring equinox during a ceremony at Tower Hill on 20 March 2023 in London, United Kingdom. Every year the Druid Order marks the first day of spring, or vernal equinox, with the celebration known asAlban Eilir - the time of balance. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Madrid, Spain
The sun sets behind the skyscrapers of the 'Four Towers Business Area',Madrid, Spain, on 20 March 2023. Photo by Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket/Getty Images
La Libertad, El Salvador
An indigenous Nahua Pipil couple blows snail shells during the celebration of the spring equinox, at the archaeological site of San Andrés, Zapotitan Valley on 19 March 2023 in La Libertad, El Salvador. Photo by Aphotographia/Getty Images
Washington DC, USA
Framed by blooming cherry blossoms, Mayowa Amosu (centre) dances with friends to celebrate the first day of Spring, 20 March 2023, Washington DC, USA. Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
A Kyrgyz hunter launches his falcon during the traditional Salburun hunting festival in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 20 March 2023. The festival takes place in Bishkek on the eve of the Nooruz holiday. Nooruz, also called Novruz, marks the first day of spring, and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox.Photo by Igor Kovalenko/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Teotihuacan, Mexico
A man takes pictures of hot air balloons flying over the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico, during the spring equinox celebration on 20 March 2023. Photo by Claudio Cruz/AFP/Getty Images
A view of the sunset through a fountain in Zaragoza city, Spain, on 20 March 2023, marking the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Photo by Javier Belver/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
New York, USA
The Sun rises over the skyscraper One Vanderbilt, as seen from the observation deck at Hudson Yards, on the first day of spring on 20 March 2023, New York City, USA. Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
Handan, China
Children balance chicken eggs that they have painted to mark Chunfen (the spring equinox) on March 20, 2023 in Zixing, Hunan Province, China. Photo by Li Ke/VCG/Getty Images
Stonehenge, United Kingdom
Druids, Pagans and revellers gather at Stonehenge to mark the spring equinox on 21 March 2023 in Amesbury, United Kingdom. Around 300 people gathered at the ancient stone monument to observe the vernal equinox and celebrate the beginning of spring. Photo by Rufus Cox/Getty Images
James Cutmore is the picture editor of BBC Science Focus Magazine. He has worked on the magazine and website for over a decade, telling compelling science stories through the use of striking imagery. He holds a degree in Fine Art, and has been nominated for the British Society of Magazine Editors Talent Awards, being highly commended in 2020. His main areas of interest include photography that highlights positive technology and the natural world. For many years he was a judge for the Wellcome Trust's image competition, as well as judging for the Royal Photographic Society.
MADRID, SPAIN - 2023/03/20: The sun sets behind the skyscrapers of the skyline of Madrid known as "Four Towers Business Area" coinciding with the Spring Equinox The spring equinox is an astronomical event that happens every year between March 20 and 21 in the northern hemisphere marking the beginning of spring. (Photo by Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
