“Sham El-Nessim, or Sham ennessim/شم النسيم, was originally an Ancient Egyptian holiday celebrated on the Vernal Equinox, or day of creation, much like an anticipatory harvest festival. Offerings to the gods included salted fish, lettuce, and onions. Though celebrated since 2700BC, after the Christianization of Egypt, it became integrated with Easter celebrations and is now celebrated on Easter Monday (as calculated by the Eastern Orthodox or Coptic Christian Calendar). Since Islamization, the date has remained on the Easter-linked calendar, but the modern celebration is more of a national holiday in Egypt. It is celebrated with family picnics, and traditional foods include salted fish, lettuce, scallions (green onions), lupini beans, and coloured hard-boiled eggs.”
“Both the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes were for the ancient Mayan civilization the most auspicious days to plant their staple crop, maize or corn. Their solar calendar of 365 days was represented in the architecture of their 4 sided pyramids with 91 steps on each side, and the final top 365th step. Their pyramids were decorated with the plumes serpents of their cosmology, and on each if the equinoxes, the way the pyramids were constructed the sun would snake down the centre of the main side, and play with shadow and light on the decorative cornices.”
“In East Asian cultures, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean the equinoxes are taken to be the mid-season points of Spring and Fall, as calculated by the 24 solar divisions of the calendar year. “Equal” in this context, represented by the Chinese character 分, is equidistant between the beginning and end of either the Spring or Fall season. In Japan the March or Vernal Equinox is a national holiday, a day for family and visiting ancestors at their graves.”