It’s the first day of September, meaning thousands of New Zealanders will mistakenly assume it’s also the first day of spring. Lyric Waiwiri-Smith sets the record straight.
Across the nation, millions of New Zealanders will be waking up this morning with a renewed senseof wonder, a sprinkling of hope and, shall we say, a spring in their step. Why? It’s an unassuming Sunday, and you’re probably in one of two camps: someone who’s recovering from a big night out, or someone getting ready for a big day of chores (or maybe both). These situations will be underlined by the false hope that, no matter what happens, at least it’s the first day of spring.
Except it isn’t - not for you, not for me, and most importantly, not for this beautiful revolving sphere we call Earth, which is the ultimate decider of these things. In Aotearoa, we have a tradition of using meteorological dates to signify the changing of a season, with spring beginning on September 1, summer on December 1, autumn on March 1 and winter on June 1. I’m here to tell you this is dumb and wrong, and we should stop doing it immediately.
We all have those pet peeves we allow to wind us up for no reason. My dad hates hearing people chew, my flatmate hates when people touch her with their feet, my ex-boyfriend hates authority and I hate people who try to wish me a “happy [insert season here]” on the first of December, March, June or September. But unlike most people, my gripes are backed by facts.
Meteorological dates have been recognised by meteorologists since the 1700s, and although you may trick yourself into thinking today feels just that little bit warmer, the weather has no control over our seasons. If you want to ring in the true beginning of spring, you’ll have to wait until the 23rd, as the new season doesn’t come in until the equinox, which makes far more sense.
Newsflash - the weather doesn’t control our seasons. Photo / Getty Images
For thousands of years before the 18th century, the changing of the seasons was simply ruled by the equinox or solstice, known as the astronomical seasons. Every year, both hemispheres experience spring and autumn equinoxes as well as summer and winter solstices, which occur mid-month around the 20th-23rd, with earlier or later starts depending on the calendar year. This year, New Zealanders rang in autumn on March 20 and winter on June 21, and soon we’ll celebrate spring on September 23 and summer on December 21.
The equinox marks the moment at which the sun is perfectly aligned above the earth’s equator, tipping neither north or south. These events alternate with the solstices, when the sun is at its northern or southernmost point on the celestial equator - and these days also mark the longest and shortest days of the year. Isn’t that handy?
Look at societies across the globe, from Asia to the Americas, and you’ll find cultural traditions recognising the solstices and equinoxes, and see how the changing of the seasons offers connection and reflection among people. In China, since the Zhou dynasty, the Dongzhi festival has rung in the winter solstice with food and togetherness, while pagan traditions recognising the summer solstice, or midsummer, are still practised in parts of Europe with dance and bonfires.
The equinoxes are observed by Japanese Buddhists with Ohigan, a chance for reflection and honouring the dead, while the Mayan tradition of celebrating the equinoxes by watching a snake-like shadow appearing along the staircases of the Chichen Itza in Mexico still persists.
New Zealand has no legislation recognising official season dates (it’s purely vibes-based), and using meteorological dates has provided simpler bookkeeping for meteorologists. This system is also used in Australia, Austria, Japan, Denmark, Pakistan and Russia, while North America, the UK and parts of Europe recognise astronomical dates (the solstices and equinoxes).
Our way of ringing in the new season is purely vibes-based, and maybe we should change that.
Other nations have separate ways of recognising seasons, such as Sweden and Finland, with the thermal seasons, while countries along the equator such as Malaysia, Thailand and Kenya recognise two seasons: wet and dry.
However, it’s never too late to innovate, and while this country faces many pressing issues such as child poverty, climate change, sh***y infrastructure and failing health services, a focus on officialising our seasonal dates wouldn’t go amiss. In fact, it might do more to curb the dumbing down of New Zealand society more than any hour-long maths or reading class could.
I’m not saying all of this to rain on anyone’s spring parade - rather, I just want the good people of Aotearoa to be properly informed and know they may be telling themselves a lie every first of September, December, March or June. And maybe if we started to recognise the true changing of the seasons, we too could make it an opportunity to slow down, reflect on and shed the past and look towards the possibilities of the future (complete with food and good company). We’ve already started doing this when Matariki comes, an event which also crosses over with the winter solstice.
So, as you go about your Sunday, revel in the knowledge that while many others will foolishly believe spring has sprung, you know better (and people are always grateful for someone who’ll say “well, actually…” when you wish them a happy new season).
You might feel a little down and out about the fact you still have 22 more days of winter to go, but that’s life - for every gloomy day you have, the promise of something brighter is always around the corner.
