I wore flip-flops and shorts out in public a bit too early again this year. Anticipating warmer weather and melting snow. Signs from Mother Nature that Spring is just around the corner. But for many, that corner has a few twists and turns before we’re really on the straight and narrow.
Car enthusiasts can’t wait to get their sports cars on the road. Gardeners are eagerly anticipating planting season. Students are counting the days until school is out. The list goes on and on.
With the anticipation of Spring, there’s also the excuse, or opportunity, to do some much-needed Spring cleaning. Whether it’s packing up the clothes from the winter season in anticipation of wearing fewer layers and brighter colours, the reality that our bodies have shifted from the ‘warmth and padding’ we ‘acquired’ over the winter months, to longing for the ‘beach body’ we’ll work towards from Spring to summer, etc., or a shift in our mental preparedness, in a religious or spiritual sense, as we acknowledge springtime rituals, festivals, or the like.
As a Christian, I am most familiar with the Easter holiday in mid-April. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead after three days in the grave. A celebration, complemented by ritual foods such as chocolate eggs, symbolizes the gift of new life. But to educate myself about other national or interfaith springtime rituals, festivals, or celebrations, I note that Ramadan, Vaisakhi, Passover, Hanamatsuri, Songkran, the festival of pure brightness, Yom Ha-Shoah, Beltaine, and the First Day of Ridván, to name just a few, also take place in April.
The common theme, if there is to be one, is that each of these celebrations focuses on experiencing the magnificence of the earth by inviting reverence into your heart or yearning to guard one’s soul by washing away all that is evil. Some do this by fasting, praying, reflecting, or focusing on their community. Others seek support through one’s days by resisting oppression, embracing freedom, or acknowledging current injustices in the world yet to be corrected. Others still see Spring as an opportunity to commit to a life of social justice and fighting for the rights of all.
Whatever your unexpected signs of Spring entail, may they warm your heart as the sun shines, may you find happiness by having fun, and may you be joyful as you find and create memories today, tomorrow, and always.
_____
Jacqueline Biollo is a government relations consultant, sessional university instructor, arts & culture enthusiast, and community leader who sometimes overindulges on Cadbury Mini Eggs. Jacqueline was photographed by Lane Jensen in this ‘Sound of Music’ inspired shoot. “My heart will be blessed with the sound of music.” https://youtu.be/U4lJUzrgSJA
