Would you look at that? Spring has arrived! Old Man Winter
is doing his stubborn best to keep the winter bite on us with this most recent
cold spell but even these latest efforts are a little toothless this time
around. Actually, the record setting “warm” winter was too long for me anyway,
despite the mildness, but that’s in the past now, Easter and spring are upon us
and grass cutting and golf club swinging are merely days away. I hope.
According
to Environment Canada, our “meteorological winter”, (December 1st-February
28th), was ranked as the warmest that the Earth has seen since
record keeping began, over 135 years ago. If you are like me you will be
tempering your wish for future winters to be as mild as this past one with your
concern over the long-term effects of Climate Change and Global Warming.
Wait, wait now, before you get all indignant
about Global Warming and Climate Change being a myth and start lining up your
scientists to argue with my scientists and go on and on about David Suzuki and his
followers being so full of crap and how acting more environmentally responsible
to the planet and to our future generations will collapse the whole world
economy even though we should all be less selfish by erring on the side of
caution instead of ignoring the vital signs while burying our heads in the sand
and saying, “It’s okay, nothing to worry about here, folks, just a bunch of
scientists spouting off; everything’s
fine” and all that, please keep in mind that I am trying to deliver an upbeat
message here about Spring and Easter so let’s not get all bent out of shape
over it, shall we? Thanks.
As with
spring, Easter is a symbol of hope, renewal and new life, or, resurrection, as
it were. In Christian belief, resurrection means Christ’s rising from the dead
and the Cambridge English dictionary defines resurrection as, “the act of
bringing something that had disappeared or ended back into use or existence.”
Yes, it works for both the Christian religion and spring’s arrival.
On Easter
Sunday Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ who was crucified
and died on the cross on Good Friday. Easter Sunday also marks the end of Lent,
which began on Ash Wednesday. Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Good
Friday and commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.
Easter is not a fixed date as it is calculated as the first Sunday after the
first full moon following the first day of spring.
Spring in
the Northern Hemisphere signifies rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, re-growth and
resurrection, too. As the axis of the Earth increases its tilt, relative to the
Sun, daylight increases bringing warmth. As the season progresses the warmth
increases causing new plant growth to “spring forth”.
There is
great cause for celebration as we celebrate both Easter and the arrival of
spring and here’s hoping that you have a wonderful Easter weekend and a most
pleasant spring season.
“The
beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul
is apt to revive also.”-Harriet Ann Jacobs (1813-1897).
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