Spring Equinox
The first day of spring is here! Reuters

The spring equinox is off to an exciting start. The first day of spring for the Northern Hemisphere started with a total solar eclipse visible in the northern Atlantic while Europe, North Africa and North Asia were treated to a partial solar eclipse. The equinox is full of traditions, so let's take a look at some of its facts and trivia.

What Is The Spring Equinox?

The spring equinox is when the sun crosses the celestial equator and Earth's tilt -- relative to the sun -- is zero, the Weather Channel explains. The sun rises due east and sets due west, EarthSky reports. The vernal equinox signals the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn for the Southern Hemisphere. If you were standing on the equator, you would be able to see the sun pass directly overhead. The spring equinox also means longer days and shorter nights for the Northern Hemisphere and shorter days for the Southern Hemisphere.

While Northerners will be saying hello to spring, Southerners will be greeting the fall. The vernal equinox happens at the same time, regardless of where you live. At 22:45 Universal Time, which is 6:45 p.m. EDT (3:45 p.m. PDT), the sun will cross the imaginary celestial equator to mark the vernal equinox.

Equinox means "equal night," and that's technically true with some caveats. We're able to see the sun rise before it rises and after it sets, due to the way Earth's atmosphere bends light, the Farmer's Almanac explains. "Daytime begins the moment any part of the sun is over the horizon, and it is not over until the last part of the sun has set. If the sun were to shrink to a starlike point and we lived in a world without air, the spring and fall equinoxes would truly have ‘equal nights,'" George Greenstein, an astronomer formerly with the Farmer's Almanac, said.

Can You Really Balance An Egg Or Broom During The Spring Equinox?

Of course! But, you don't have to wait until the vernal equinox to put your balancing skills to the test. There's nothing special about the equinox that adds to the balancing property of an egg or broom, Snopes explained. To properly balance an egg or broom, it's about founding the right shape and patience. Finding a smooth egg without many bumps will work for such a purpose, while a broom with even-length bristles will be ideal for you balancing purposes.

Spring Equinox Traditions

Pagans celebrate Ostara, a spring festival honoring fertility and rebirth. Ostara has its origins in early Anglo-Saxon traditions. The first day of spring has been associated with life, renewal and fertility throughout history and different cultures, which is why eggs and rabbits are commonly associated with the equinox and the season. There are also plenty of spring quotes and poems to celebrate the equinox.