Today marks the Vernal Equinox, when the sun crosses the Celestial equator, and enters the sign of Aries, signalling the beginning of Spring. The Spring Equinox is one of the most ancient and Holidays. In ancient times, it was a day of mourning for the consort of the Goddess, the Dying God.

It is known to Neopagans as Ostara, the feast day of the Goddess Easter, the Anglo-Saxon counterpart of the ancient Mesopotamian Goddess Ishtar. It is also the first day of the New Year in the Zoroastrian Calendar, No Ruz, or "New Day." Here's a bit of history on Mesopotamian New Year festivals.

See also: No Ruz in Iran