Spring is that time of year in which there’s a kind of rebirth in our environment. Grass becomes greener, flowers start to bloom, and trees start to grow and be lively again. It’s that time when the sun starts to bring a ray of sunshine while enjoying the cool breeze, which gives us that positive vibes and energy.
Why We Should Celebrate Spring
You may be wondering why we should celebrate spring. Aside from the fact that it’s the season full of colors and vibrancy, Easter and Saint Patrick’s Day are also celebrated during Spring all around the world. Easter is not just about colorful easter bunnies and egg hunting, but it’s also the Christian way of celebrating Spring—the resurrection of Christ.
On the other hand, Ireland jumpstarts the Spring season by celebrating Saint Patrick, who played an important role in bringing Christianity to their country back then. This is where most people dress up as leprechauns with their pot of gold.
But where did Spring really start? In Ancient Greece, they celebrate Spring as they welcome a new season of fertility and fruitfulness. The Greek god associated with this is Demeter, mother of Zeus and Persephone.
When her daughter Persephone was lost, crops started to wither, and flowers and trees stopped growing. It became cold, and nature froze. As a result, we have winter.
Demeter then negotiated with Hades, god of the Underworld, to allow her to be with her daughter for several months. He agreed, so whenever Demeter’s with Persephone, her happiness unfreezes nature, making it warmer and fertile. Thus, we have Spring.
This ancient belief shows how Spring brings families together, just like how Demeter yearned to be reunited with Persephone. And, every time she’s with her daughter, the joy she has in her heart is worth sharing with everyone.
How Spring is Celebrated Around the World
Various Spring festivals and traditions are being celebrated, such as the Sakura Festival in Japan, Tulip Fairy and Elf Festival in Colorado, and White House Easter Egg Roll in Washington, DC.
The Sakura viewing or ‘hanami’ is a very popular tradition in Japan. Hanami is how the Japanese enjoy Spring by viewing the wonderful flowers in the parks. Some folks go to the countryside as the full bloom of these trees varies from region to region. Families flock to the parks to have a picnic under the trees, bringing with them home-cooked meals and good drinks to savor the start of a new season.
Meanwhile, Colorado welcomes Spring with boys and girls dressed up as elves and fairies together with their vibrant Tulip Fairy marching along the Pearl Street Mall in Downtown Boulder. It symbolizes the waking up of more or less 15 thousand tulips in Downtown Boulder.
The White House Easter Egg Roll is an extended Easter celebration in Washington, DC. Keeping the eggs literally rolling, it gathers thousands of parents and kids celebrating Easter to see who holds the crown of rolling the egg farthest without breaking it.
Fun Ways to Celebrate Spring
Given that Spring’s just around the corner, here are 15 things you can do to make the season memorable and worth celebrating with your family and loved ones:
1. Play and Have a Picnic at the Park
One fun way to celebrate Spring is to visit the park, and have a family day. Have a picnic under the trees while enjoying the wonderful sceneries—blooming flowers, cool breeze, and the chirping birds everywhere.
Plus, flying a kite, playing frisbee, and taking your pets with you will surely make this family day exciting and fun.
2. Flower Sightseeing and Picking
‘Tis the season of flowers blooming everywhere! It’s a sight to see a bed of various flowers. Take some Instagram-worthy shots and, if you’re lucky, you can pick some of your most favorite flowers to bring home. Just make sure it’s okay to pick one!
3. Be Active with the Fambam!
New season, new you!
Kidding aside, let’s make it a habit to stay healthy and active every day by working out—walking, jogging or biking. Bring your kids with you and have several rounds of work out at the park or your neighborhood.
4. Backyard Camping
Pull out your tents from the storage, and have a family camping in your backyard. Grill some hotdogs, steaks, barbeques, and have a bonfire for the kids to do smores.
Enjoy the night light and have a night of stargazing. If you guys are lucky enough, you may even catch a shooting star pass by!
5. Watch Outdoor Movies
It’s like having a Netflix and chill kind of night, family edition! It goes well with backyard camping, too.
Grab a projector and white screen to achieve this family bonding activity. No white screen? No problem! You can have a DIY screen by having a white cloth strung or attached to a wall. Adding a nice sound system would also make the outdoor movie night more fun.
6. Treasure Hunt
You can organize a treasure hunt in which you let your kids accomplish several missions while they find various items on your list. There’s a lot of ideas or themes you can think of; it may be spring-related or anything under the sun.
You can also provide them cue cards of their missions and a trail map of where the treasure is.
7. Visit the Zoo
Take a stroll at the zoo with your kids, and enjoy the sight of those adorable animals. There are zoos that offer scheduled shows you might want to check out.
8. Learn New Sports
Play sports with your kids, such as frisbee, badminton, tennis or basketball. This not only serves as a family bonding, but also teaches your kids to stay active and healthy.
9. Dance in the Rain
Let your kids experience playing and dancing in the rain! It’s a wonderful and memorable experience they’ll have until they grow old. Or better yet, join them as you splash and dance in the rain!
10. Spring Cleaning & Garage Sale
Part of the essence of Spring is rebirth. This includes your home. Start fresh by doing a spring cleaning or decluttering the old stuff you can let go, and organize a garage sale! Who knows? Your old stuff can still be useful to others.
11. Dress Up and Go Easter Egg Hunting
One way to celebrate Easter, which also falls during the Spring season, is to dress your kids as Easter bunnies and go Easter egg hunting. There are several parks or communities that organize such, but you can do it in your own backyard, too!
Ask help from the kids to paint the Easter eggs and hide them anywhere in your backyard after. Make sure your kids don’t have a clue where you hid it!
12. Do Gardening
Make your backyard garden greener by planting some seedlings, may it be a flowering plant, a tree or plants you can harvest like fruits or vegetables. It’s not just helping the environment be cleaner and greener, but it’s also a way to attract positive energy into your household because it brings a breath of fresh air.
13. Go to a Local Farmer’s Market
Support our local farmers’ fresh produce by buying their products. You can find better deals and fresher fruits and vegetables than those you can buy in the groceries and supermarkets.
14. Cook or Enjoy Spring Food
Cook dishes with your freshly harvested Spring ingredients you bought from the market or grew in your backyard. You can prepare a salad or chicken with potatoes, buttered corn and carrots on the side.
15. Watch a Sports Tournament
Spring also marks the baseball season! Have a family date by watching a live sports tournament. And, it’s cute to dress up with jerseys, as if you’re part of the team.
Celebration of a New Season
As Spring marks a new start and season, there are a lot of activities you can try with your family to make your Spring celebration fun, enjoyable and memorable. This season can strengthen the bond and cherish more memories with your loved ones.
It’s a time to de-stress, breathe, radiate love and happiness, and recharge from the cold winter behind us. The most fun and cherished moments are time spent with the family.
