Spring equinox 2023: The best images from around the globe

From London to Mexico, here’s how the northern hemisphere celebrated the first day of spring.

By James Cutmore

Published: Tuesday, 21 March 2023 at 12:00 am

All around the world, people are celebrating the first equinox of the year in the northern hemisphere. The amount of sunlight in the northern and southern hemispheres is approximately equal as the Sun is positioned above the equator. This traditionally marks the start of spring, where daylight grows longer and the nights grow shorter.

People celebrate this time of year in many different ways. Many cultures have traditional ceremonies to mark the occasion, from festivals to sporting events. Others are just happy to think that winter is over, and spring is on its way.

Here are some of the best images of the equinox from around the world.

Iztapalapa, Mexico

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People raise their arms to ‘charge themselves with positive energy’ during their visit to the Cerro de la Estrella archaeological site in the Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico, to mark the spring equinox in Mexico. Photo taken on 20 March 2023. Photo by Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto/Getty Images

London, United Kingdom

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Members of the Druid Order take part in a celebration of the spring equinox during a ceremony at Tower Hill on 20 March 2023 in London, United Kingdom. Every year the Druid Order marks the first day of spring, or vernal equinox, with the celebration known as Alban Eilir – the time of balance. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Madrid, Spain

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The sun sets behind the skyscrapers of the ‘Four Towers Business Area’, Madrid, Spain, on 20 March 2023. Photo by Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket/Getty Images

La Libertad, El Salvador

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An indigenous Nahua Pipil couple blows snail shells during the celebration of the spring equinox, at the archaeological site of San Andrés, Zapotitan Valley on 19 March 2023 in La Libertad, El Salvador. Photo by Aphotographia/Getty Images

Washington DC, USA

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Framed by blooming cherry blossoms, Mayowa Amosu (centre) dances with friends to celebrate the first day of Spring, 20 March 2023, Washington DC, USA. Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

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A Kyrgyz hunter launches his falcon during the traditional Salburun hunting festival in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 20 March 2023. The festival takes place in Bishkek on the eve of the Nooruz holiday. Nooruz, also called Novruz, marks the first day of spring, and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox. Photo by Igor Kovalenko/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Teotihuacan, Mexico

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A man takes pictures of hot air balloons flying over the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico, during the spring equinox celebration on 20 March 2023. Photo by Claudio Cruz/AFP/Getty Images

More images from BBC Science Focus:

Zaragoza, Spain

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A view of the sunset through a fountain in Zaragoza city, Spain, on 20 March 2023, marking the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Photo by Javier Belver/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

New York, USA

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The Sun rises over the skyscraper One Vanderbilt, as seen from the observation deck at Hudson Yards, on the first day of spring on 20 March 2023, New York City, USA. Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Handan, China

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Children balance chicken eggs that they have painted to mark Chunfen (the spring equinox) on March 20, 2023 in Zixing, Hunan Province, China. Photo by Li Ke/VCG/Getty Images