MARCH HAS ARRIVED. WELCOME SPRING!

 In spite of the rollercoaster temperatures and weekly snowstorms, March heralds the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.  Here in Maine, we await with anticipation the appearance of green leaves, spring flowers, mild weather and longer days. We start planning our gardens and think summer can’t be far behind.

Daylight Savings Time begins on March 13th this year.  By setting clocks ahead one hour we take advantage of the daylight hours.  Germany was the first to establish Daylight Savings Time in 1916 during WWI as a way to save electricity and Great Britain soon followed.  The U.S. Congress passed its first Daylight Savings law in 1918 but it was repealed a year later.  It became a local option until WWII when President Roosevelt instituted year-round Daylight Savings Time, called “War Time” from 1941 to 1945 to save energy.  There was no federal law then until 1966 and a hodgepodge of time observances based on local laws and customs caused a great deal of confusion and controversy. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 finally established a system of uniform Daylight Savings Time throughout the U.S. and its possessions, exempting only those states in which the legislatures voted to keep the entire state on standard time.  There have been revisions since, the last being in 2007 which set the start date at 2:00 am on the second Sunday of March and end date at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November.  Although it is still controversial today, all but a few states follow it to be consistent for interstate commerce and travel.

Let’s turn to the Farmer’s Almanac for more information about spring.

Astronomically speaking the first day of spring is marked by the spring equinox which falls on March 19, 20 or 21 depending on the time zone. Day and Night are close to being equal on the equinox. This year it falls on March 20.  (In the Southern Hemisphere it announces the arrival of fall.)  Interestingly, there isn’t a March 21 equinox in the mainland U.S. again this century. 

Meteorologically speaking, the official first day of spring is March 1st. Weather scientists divide the year into quarters to make it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics from one year to the next. Meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles rather than the position of Earth in relation to the sun.

Either way, we will be looking for signs of spring in nature all around us. And with the advent of spring, the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society becomes active again planning this year's meetings, events and the new exhibit at History House.

We are excited to begin our 2022 season. Watch for our spring newsletter, this blog and the shopping guide ads for the upcoming calendar of events as we begin the new season. We hope to see you soon.