In the days of the spring equinox , the daytime becomes equal to the night. In this short period of time, the sun's rays fall strictly perpendicular to the equator. And at the end of these days, the luminary migrates to the Northern Hemisphere of the celestial sphere from the South. It is officially considered that March 21 is the day of the spring equinox. The bright time of the day starts to increase. The days of the spring equinox are not only the advent of the astronomical spring, but also the beginning of the tropical year. It approximately lasts 365.2422 days. Due to the resulting inaccuracy, the equinox moment moves about 5-6 hours per cycle. But it was the tropical year that scientists took to measure time. For example, the day of the vernal equinox of 2013 came on March 20 at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and 2 minutes in the Moscow time. Approximately at the same time, he will be in the next, 2014-m. Then the day and time will change.
For the modern man, the days of the spring equinox are only an informative event - this means that the day will now become longer than the night. In ancient times people lived in unity with nature, and for them the semantic load was more voluminous. Slavs in these days celebrated the holiday Komoditsu, which lasted 2 weeks. People burned a scarecrow, embodying the winter and the prevalence of darkness in life, baked sacrificial bread (pancakes), rallied in costumes and played skits, thereby calling for spring and celebrating the New Year.
First, a scarecrow Morena (goddess of winter and death) drove on triples through the villages, singing majestic songs, and then, after burning, solemnly buried. Then came the days of honoring Bear - the bear. One of the men dressed in the skin of the beast. The rest gave him pancakes, entertained with songs and dances. The rite of the bear's awakening ended these days. After the winter season, the moment of glorification of Yarila, the deity of the Sun, came. A handsome young man was dressed as a bridegroom, they looked for his bride and played their wedding. This symbolized the union of Yarila and Yarilikhi as the embodiment of fertility and creation. From that moment it was believed that the renewal of all living things begins, good and light enter into force. With the adoption of Christianity, this holiday smoothly moved to Maslenitsa, but acquired a different meaning.
New Year, or Novruz, was also met on that day in all the countries along which the Great Silk Road ran : in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. It was one of the greatest holidays of the Aryans who inhabited these territories in antiquity. They worshiped fire and the Sun, and therefore the prevalence of the bright time in the day meant for them the goodwill of heaven to man. On the eve of the holiday, all the people had to make peace with each other. In each house, jugs filled with grain, water and milk, which was to attract luck next year, a generous harvest, rich milk yields, a good litter of cattle. From the morning on the days of the spring equinox, a feast was held. Required to the table were dishes filled with sprouted grains, which symbolized the arrival of the New Year. After the adoption by the peoples of these states of Islam, the holiday was also adopted in the Islamic calendar.