Spring gets its official start Friday in the Northern Hemisphere with the arrival of the vernal equinox. But what does that mean? The Earth's axis is tilted at an angle as it travels around the sun. On the equinox, the Earth's tilt is neither toward nor away from the sun, so both hemispheres get the same amount of sunlight. This means day and night last about the same amount of time. It also marks the start of a new season. Days will get a little longer every day in the Northern Hemisphere until the solstice in June.

According to the astronomical definition, winter will officially begin in the Northern Hemisphere on Dec. 21, 2022, at 1:47 p.m.: the shortest day of the year, known as the winter solstice. The weeks leading up to the winter solstice can feel long as days grow shorter and temperatures drop. But it's also traditionally been a time of renewal and celebration – little wonder that so many cultures mark major holidays just around this time.