Let’s Welcome Spring: An Open Thread

Sally and I have had some interesting discussions recently about religion and the seasons and holidays. A few weeks ago we attended an educational event on celebrating Norwuz, the Persian New Year. During Norwuz, people carry around plates of newly sprouted grass! While decorating eggs for Easter recently, I visited with a neighbor from India who told me about the Hindu celebration of spring, Holi. During Holi, people throw colorful paint on each other.

It has been fun thinking about Easter in the context of other cultures’ spring holidays—and also thinking about the ways Easter is not simply a religious holiday in the strictest sense, but also Christian culture’s celebration of spring. Egg decorating and Easter egg hunts, for example, have little to do with a celebration of the death and resurrection of a divine savior, and much more to do with celebrating the new life and renewed colors of spring.

This past weekend Sally planted some flowers and vegetables, all on her own initiative. I’ve also had spring cleaning on the mind, and having the windows open has been lovely. Yesterday I tried to convince Bobby to come outside barefoot, but he completely balked so I put his shoes on. I guess spring takes some getting used to! At two, how much do they remember of the previous summer, I wonder?

So how about the rest of you? How do you celebrate spring?