March 20 marks the start of spring, which means only the best things: spring break, sunbathing on Memorial Glade between classes, class outside (we can dream, at least), hikes on the fire trails, Cal Day, flowers blooming and much more. Many cultures around the world celebrate the start of this season, and we at the Clog would like to help bring some of these traditions to campus.

New lunar year: Not doing too hot with your resolution? Well, good news: Several cultures mark the vernal equinox as the start of a new year. The Romans regarded March 15 as the start of the lunar year, following their zodiac calendar. So you can tell yourself that you’ll start going to the RSF once again.

Decorating eggs: Although this activity may seem Easter-specific, most of our Easter traditions stem from pagan rituals that predate Easter. Because baby birds hatch from eggs, and spring is all about rebirth, eggs are the perfect symbol for our favorite season. So grab some friends, steal some boiled eggs from Clark Kerr’s dining hall, and get decorating.

Norouz (or Nowruz): Iran’s celebration of the new year comes with cleaning, fixing broken items, picnics and lots of flowers. So celebrate the changing of the seasons by doing your laundry and eating your Qualcomm wrap on the Glade.

Woopity Scoorie: In Lanark, Scotland, children run around St. Nicholas Chapel thrice while throwing paper balls, then scrambling for coins to celebrate the new season. We propose that we reenact this tradition around the Campanile, because what college student couldn’t use some extra cash?

Ostara: According to some pagan traditions, the spring equinox is a particularly good time to do some magic. So if there’s any cursing you need to do, get on that. We recommend holding a spring rebirth ritual in order to revitalize for the remainder of the semester.

Image sources: Christopher Michel, jjMustang_79, Jason Rogers, Manda