Every year, two special events occur: the Spring Equinox and the Autumn Equinox. According to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), equinoxes happen when the Sun aligns directly over the Equator, marking a perfect balance between day and night, with an equal amount of hours of light and darkness. Since the Spring Equinox, the nights gradually start to shorten, giving way to longer and sunnier days. This pattern is reversed with the arrival of the Autumn Equinox when the nights lengthen to their maximum during the winter solstice.
Mexico is located in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth, so the Spring Equinox will take place on March 20, 2025, at 09:01 GMT, that is, at 3:01 in the morning, according to the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE).
The term 'equinox' comes from the Greek euqus: equal and nox: night. The Spring Equinox is a highly anticipated phenomenon that marks the beginning of a new season. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is associated with the start of spring and all the seasonal changes it brings. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are reversed, the March Equinox represents the beginning of autumn and is known as the 'Autumnal Equinox'.
The Spring Equinox is much more than the start of a new season. Besides the festivities and traditions surrounding it, this moment is considered auspicious for charging energies. Tourists often visit places like Chichen Itza and the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan to absorb the spiritual energy of the Sun. Despite the esoteric beliefs and superstitions surrounding this event, experts have urged to avoid mass visits to these ruins, as they contribute to the deterioration of historical sites.
In scientific terms, equinoxes occur due to the tilt of the rotation axes of the planets. Civilizations like the Mayans had profound knowledge of these events, as evidenced in their observations and codices. Examples of the manifestation of this knowledge can be seen in sites like the Pyramid of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza, where during the equinox, the illusion of a serpent descending the stairs is created.
