This year , the vernal equinox officially arrives on Tuesday , March 19 at 11:06 pm in Washington , D.C .
That is 3:06 UTC on Wednesday , March 20 .
At that time , the sun will be exactly above the Earth's equator .
The word vernal comes from the Latin word vernalis , meaning “of the spring .”
And equinox comes from the Latin words aequus , meaning equal , and nox , meaning night .
The day has 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of nighttime .
And in the Northern Hemisphere , the day marks the beginning of spring .
On this day , people living in colder areas of the Northern Hemisphere hope they can put away their winter clothes .
They also may soon start planting flowers and vegetables in a garden .
Here in Washington , D.C ., March 20 also marks the first day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival .
Each year , people from around the world come to see the beautiful pink and white blossoms on the thousands of flowering cherry trees .
For Washingtonians , the cherry blossoms are a welcome sign that spring has arrived .
In ancient times , some cultures built structures to signal the start of spring .
Around the year 1000 A.D ., for example , the Maya built a pyramid in what is now Mexico's Yucatan .
It sits within an ancient city called Chichen Itza .
On the spring equinox , the sunlight hits in a way that makes the structure look like a snake .
The Maya called this day “the return of the Sun serpent .”
Today , cultures worldwide have their own ways of identifying and celebrating the arrival of spring .
In Japan , spring is marked with a huge cherry blossom festival , known as hanami .
The tradition dates back more than a thousand years .
People gather under the blooming trees to eat , drink tea , celebrate and enjoy the cherry blossoms , known as sakura in Japanese .
Artists and poets celebrate the short-lived blooms as a symbol of beauty .
The gift was to honor the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan .
For many countries in Central Asia and the Middle East , the vernal equinox also marks the beginning of a new year .
Countries along the ancient Silk Road trading path , including Afghanistan , Iran , Turkey , Uzbekistan , and other Central Asian nations , celebrate Nowruz .
In the past , Iran was the only country where Nowruz was an official holiday .
But after countries gained their independence following the fall of the Soviet Union , many made Nowruz a national holiday , as well .
During Nowruz , people visit family members and friends and exchange gifts .
Iranian families set up a “haft seen ” display of seven special items that represent spring and new beginnings .
In Uzbekistan and other places in Central Asia , people watch wrestling events , horse races and a special horseback game called , in Uzbek , Kopkari .
In this game , two teams of players on horseback try to get the body of a headless goat into a goal .
This year , Holi will take place on March 25 .
People celebrate the festival by covering each other in -- you guessed it -- colors !
Children especially enjoy the festival , as they get to throw colored powder and water-filled balloons at others .
Some say the festival comes from a story of the burning of the devil Holika .
It represents the victory of good over evil , or the arrival of spring after a long , dark winter .
Others say the celebration was inspired by the story of two young lovers with different skin colors .
Krishna , who has blue skin , was in love with Radha .
So , he colored Radha with paint leading to the modern-day colorful festival of love .
It is a wild street festival involving fire .
The festival centers on the creation – and burning – of huge colorful statues made of wood , paper and plastic .
The statues are meant to look like real people .
Valencian communities and organizations work all year to create these structures and place them throughout the city , with fireworks inside .
Las Fallas celebrations began on March 15 , with events like bullfights , parades , and cooking and beauty competitions .
Then , at midnight on March 19 , the city turns off all its streetlights and the statues are set on fire .
This marks the end of the festival and the beginning of spring .
And I'm John Russell .