This year, the spring equinox falls on Friday, March 20, 2026. It’s a date eagerly anticipated by many French people, who look forward to seeing the trees bloom again and enjoying longer, brighter days. Starting from March 20, 2026, we officially welcome spring, with an average increase of 4 minutes of sunlight per day until June 21, the summer solstice.
But what exactly is the equinox? It’s an astronomical event that marks the moment when day and night are of equal length. Each year, two equinoxes occur; the first happens between March 19 and 21, signaling the transition from winter to spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and the second takes place between September 21 and 24, when we shift from summer to autumn, still in the Northern Hemisphere.
In practical terms, the spring equinox marks the first day of spring on the Gregorian calendar. This event signals the end of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, it signifies the start of autumn.
The Spring Equinox 2026 kicks off on Friday, March 20, precisely at 3:45 p.m. (UTC+1), according to the Institute of Celestial Mechanics and Ephemerides Calculation (IMCCE). At this exact moment, the sun will be directly overhead at the Earth's equator. It will rise almost exactly in the east and set directly in the west.
Last year, the spring equinox took place on the same date — March 20th — but a few hours earlier, at 10:01 AM. In 2007, however, the equinox fell on March 21st, as it did in 2003. So why does the date and time keep shifting? To understand the reasons, we need to look into our Gregorian calendar. In our system, a year is 365 days long. But in reality, the Earth takes exactly 365 days, 5 hours, and 48 minutes to complete a full orbit around the Sun.
To compensate for this discrepancy, an extra day is added every four years, known as the leap year. This adjustment shifts the dates and times of the equinoxes slightly. Note that the next spring equinox occurring on March 21 is expected only in 2102, while the one falling on March 19 is projected for 2044, according to the calendar published by IMCCE.
Note that the spring equinox is followed a few days later by the time change to summer time.
Daylight Saving Time 2026: When Will the Clocks Spring Forward?
The days are getting longer, and the nights feel shorter. There's no denying it—the switch to summer time is just around the corner, and it's almost time to change our clocks again. So, in the early hours of Sunday, March 29, 2026, we’ll move our clocks forward by one hour. That means losing an hour of sleep and adjusting our watches accordingly. [Read more]
