Spring Equinox at Porto Rafti

When is the first day of spring?  Traditionally, in the northern hemisphere, we celebrate the beginning of spring on March 21.

For astronomers and calendar makers spring starts one day earlier on March 20^th when daytime and nighttime are approximately of equal duration.  The word for this day is Equinox, derived from the Latin aequus for equal and nox for night. 

When Julius Caesar established his calendar in 45 BC he set March 25 as the spring equinox.  Because the Julian calendar is slightly longer than actual, the dates drifted and by 1500 AD the spring equinox occurred on March 11.  Pope Gregory XIII created the modern calendar to restore the edicts of Nicaea’s Council regarding the date Easter is celebrated.  As a consequence the date of equinox was moved four days earlier.  Incidentally, the English word Easter comes from the celebration of Vernal (spring) by the Germanic tribes for the season that brings more daylight, increasing temperatures and the rebirth of animals and plants alike. The Spring Equinox is also referred to as Vernal Equinox.

Poets, photographers and romantics have found the reflection of moonlight on the waters irresistible.  Spring is the season humans regain, albeit briefly, the innocence of children and the season we fall in love.

The full moon occurred on March 16^th this year.

Porto Rafti

Porto Rafti (Greek: Πορτο Ραφτη) is a seaside community on the east shore of the Attica peninsula.  The distance from Porto Rafti to the center of Athens is 26 km or 16 miles.

The bay is surrounded by hills the tallest of which is 2011 feet (610 m). 

Porto Rafti’s permanent residents and visitors alike are captivated by the bay’s natural beauty.  

Porto Rafti’s population increases ten fold in the summer months as Athenians spend their vacation here and enjoy the sea, the mountains, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets.