- Like it's the season of new life and rebirth.
If you know all of these spring fun facts, that would be surprising. Like do you know which mammal travels furthest each year?
- The day and night are similar in length to the point of being almost equal
during the spring equinox and the word equinox comes from the Latin words meaning “equal night.” - April Fool’s Day comes from the 16th century when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Some failed to realize that the new year had moved to January 1st and continued to celebrate during the end of March. This led to April 1st being the target of pranks and jokes.
- In ancient Rome, the new year was celebrated on the first day of spring and thought of as a time of new life and rebirth.
- Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day but commemorates the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It’s celebrated more in the United States than it is in Mexico. Did you know this as one of the spring fun facts?
- Baby birds learn to sing in the spring within the first two months of their lives. They’re born with the ability but have to learn the songs specific to their species.
- One of the largest mammal migrations occurs in the spring including animals like whales and seals.
- Other planets have equinoxes, too.
- Gray whales have one of the longest mammal migrations, traveling almost 12,000 yearly between Mexico and Alaska.
- Mother’s Day was first officially recognized in the United States in 1914 and is celebrated yearly the second Sunday in May. Is this one of the best of the spring fun facts?
- Spring cleaning is ritualistic and practiced around the globe in various ancient traditions. The earliest use of spring cleaning was in 1857. Spring cleaning was first most common among Jewish, Iranian and Chinese cultures but was practiced on the American frontier in the form of removing soot accumulation from oil lamps and stoves and dust.
- Birds called Arctic Terns officially have the longest migratory journey of all
animals, spanning 25,000 miles in a single year. - In Mexico, the late afternoon sun of spring creates the illusion of a snake creeping down the northern staircase at Chichen Itza. (A symbol of the feathered serpent joining the heavens.)
- Monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles, from Mexico to the United States and as far as Canada in the spring. This is one of the spring fun facts you may already know!
- Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970 and led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
- Groundhog Day in the United States can be traced back to a German custom and has its roots in an older European weather lore. This usually had a badger or a sacred bear as the prognosticator. Once German immigrants settled into Pennsylvania, they switched to using a groundhog as the predictor more winter or early spring.
- Swallows nest in the same places every spring.
- The only planet in the solar system that experiences rainbows is Earth. How
is that as one of the best spring fun facts? - Salmon make their upstream journey in the spring, some jumping as high as 12 feet in the air over obstacles like waterfalls.
- Arbor Day is a holiday observed in many countries by planting trees. In the United States, it’s typically celebrated in late April, as this time of year offers optimal planting conditions.
Which of these spring fun facts surprised you the most? Let me know in the comments!