Spring Forward

by Sophia Han

Spring expressions 

There are more English expressions about spring than any other season. To spring to life means to move quickly or to take action. When someone springs to mind this means that we suddenly think about that person.

In the spring, we turn clocks forward by one hour so that we have one hour less of sleep but one hour more of daylight. This is called daylight savings time. This year, daylight savings time starts on Sunday, March 12.

March 20 is the spring equinox. On this day, the length of the day and the length of the night is the same in all parts of the world.

The spring equinox is a special occasion in some cultures. In Iran, it is the start of the Persian new year. In Japan, the first day of spring is a national holiday called Shunbun no Hi. Traditionally, people celebrate the holiday with family reunions and by leaving sweet rice balls on the graves of ancestors.

Early spring flowering trees 

In Vancouver, people take advantage of the early spring weather by visiting one of the city’s 230 parks or by walking neighbourhood streets lined with plum and cherry trees. Cherry trees bloom from mid-March and peak in April. Many of Vancouver’s 43,000 cherry trees were planted in the 1930s to honour Japanese-Canadians who served in World War I.

The plum tree is also a stunning sight in early spring and blooms earlier than the cherry tree. Groves of plum trees can be found at Aberdeen Park in Renfrew-Collingwood. While both trees produce flowers with five petals, a single bud from a cherry tree produces numerous blossoms.

After a long and difficult winter, step outside and enjoy the early spring.

Places to view early plum and cherry tree blossoms

Aberdeen Park Clive Avenue from Spencer to McHardy Street McSpadden Park

VOCABULARY spring to life to move quickly or to take action spring to mind to suddenly think about someone or something spring equinox the time of year when both night and day are equal ancestor someone you are related to who lived in the past take advantage to make use of honour to show someone respect bloom to make flowers peak when something is at its best serve to represent your country stunning extremely beautiful grove a group of trees bud the part of a tree or plant that becomes a flower numerous many

Read On! has a web page. You can:

 Read the articles http://renfrewcollingwood communitynews.com/category/ read-on/