The official start date of spring is different in Ireland.
Astronomically, winter is finished. Done and dusted. Ball burst, and you can all go
home. And as we gently escort out the bleakest of seasons, trailing frost and damaged baubles, we eagerly usher in spring, gaily frolicking in with flora and fauna clutched to its bosom. Monday was the day people rejoiced, saying that spring had finally sprung.
Everyone was ecstatic.
The only issue is that I’m here to say that I think we’re all (especially you) being ridiculous. I am here to show you the light and say that spring has not just descended upon us from on high, it has, in fact, been spring for ages!
Is Irish Spring different from other countries?
I had a heated argument discussion with a student recently about the official start date for spring, and by the end of it, this wily Brazilian had almost convinced me that I was wrong that spring only begins this week. Thankfully, gentle reader, I’ve regained my senses and am here to assure you that spring is here.
Now, in fairness in Ireland, we have a complicated relationship with spring, it’s a bit of a ‘will they, won’t they?’ situation. This confusion can be attributed to the differences between the meteorological and astronomical calendars as well as the influence of Irish festivals on the Gregorian calendar.
When does spring really start in Ireland?
Today many Irish calendars support March as the harbinger of spring, however,
when I was in school, when the world was young and today’s vintage cheddar was still mild at best, the calendar on the wall declared that the first day of spring was February 1st!
Yes, that’s right, you read that correctly February was spring! This, of course, in turn, meant that May was summer, and August was autumn and don’t even get me started on November being winter, or we’ll be here all day. Overall, it was a simpler time, and since I’m also simple, I still consider spring to start in February.
Why does spring start in February in Ireland?
In terms of religion and paganism, February 1st also makes sense as the beginning of spring since it is the feast day of St Brigid, who is one of Ireland’s three patron saints. February was the beginning of the festival Imbolc because the flowers began blooming, the days lengthened, and lambs were born.
If you feel like being pedantic, then meteorologically speaking, spring starts on March 1st, but in my book, if there’s a lamb in the field and a flower in the garden, then it’s spring, it has sprung, and you’ve been caught unawares. You’ll find me hard to move on the subject.
Would you like to visit Emerald Isle during spring?
Fill in our form, and one of our Student Advisors will contact you to answer all
your questions:
https://forms.monday.com/forms/8c31a12bce95966bb7d63b56f1b2df2b?r=use1
