Where do I even begin?

It gives me great pleasure to announce that we have entered 春分, shunbun, or "spring divider", the fourth section of the 24-part traditional Sino-Japanese calendar. This one is timed to coincide with the vernal equinox, so there are a bunch of other neat holidays going on around the world too, including the alliterative Zoroastrian festival Norouz in Iran. And if I am not mistaken Aleister Crowley claimed that the Book of the Law was dictated to him over the equinox.

But back to East Asia -- like 啓蟄, 春分 is divided into three mini-seasons, and they are as follows. In Japan:

• 雀始巣 -- "Sparrows begin to build nests"
• 桜始開 -- "Sakura begin to blossom"
• 雷乃発声 -- "Thunder's voice rings out"

And in China:

• 玄鳥至 -- "Swallows arrive [back from migrating south]"
• 雷乃発声 -- "Thunder's voice rings out"
• 始雷 -- "First lightning"

The equinox is such a big deal in Japan that it's even a public holiday, which we get tomorrow since today is a weekend. Hurrah for culture!