“A gush of bird-song, a patter of dew, a cloud, and a rainbow’s warning. Suddenly sunshine and perfect blue – an April day in the morning.”

~ Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford (April 3, 1835 – Aug. 14, 1921), American writer of novels, poems

Yes! Spring arrived … a time of resurrection, hope and rebirth. During this time the weather begins to shift from winter. Our thoughts turn not only to spring, but also to Passover and Easter.

I have come across this old proverb in my research time and time again … and I remember Grandma saying the same: “If Easter is late, spring will be late, too.” 

Each year, not long after the new calendar was hung on the wall, we would catch Grandma flipping ahead to March and April, on the hunt to find out when Easter would be. She would not wait to hear what the groundhog had to say, but would give us her forecast right then, with her hand still pressed up against the calendar. 

When I was a kid, I didn’t understand why Easter moved around like it did; Christmas, after all, was always on Dec. 25. 

Blame it on the moon! 

Since time began, people have been curious about the moon. Calendars were designed around it, holidays and observances set according to it. Easter is a good example of that!  

Easter is always the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring or vernal equinox. Always is.

According to the Bible, Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection occurred around the time of the Jewish Passover, which was celebrated on the first full moon following the vernal equinox.

One symbol recognized as part of the celebration of spring, Easter and Passover is the egg. As our little ones go out looking for colored eggs, what about the weather?

Breezy northwest winds will continue through this evening in the mountains and valleys. Temperatures will be near to slightly below average through tomorrow. A warming trend is expected to get underway Easter Sunday and last through mid-week. And then …? Well, let’s just say Happy Easter and Chag Sameach.