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Enter the e-mail address you used when enrolling for Britannica Premium Service and we will e-mail your password to you. ____________________ Search Site: spring______________ Reset Submit * Advanced Search Home * Encyclopædia Britannica * spring (season) [Table of Contentsspring] * Article * Citations * EDIT * SAVE * PRINT * E-MAIL * * * Video, Images & Audio * Related Articles, Ebooks & More * Web Links * Article History * Contributors * Dictionary & Thesaurus * Widgets spring ARTICLE from the Encyclopædia Britannica Get involved Share IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://www.britannica.com /EBchecked/topic/561288/spring&layout=button_count&show_faces=false&wid th=100&action=like&font=arial&colorscheme=light&height=21 spring, Cherry trees blossoming in spring at an orchard in Germany. [Credit: © ultimathule/Shutterstock.com] in climatology, season of the year between winter and summer during which temperatures gradually rise. It is generally defined in the Northern Hemisphere as extending from the vernal equinox (day and night equal in length), March 20 or 21, to the summer solstice (year’s longest day), June 21 or 22, and in the Southern Hemisphere from September 22 or 23 to December 22 or 23. The spring temperature transition from winter cold to summer heat occurs only in middle and high latitudes; near the Equator, temperatures vary little during the year. Spring is very short in the polar regions. For physical causes of the seasons, see season. In many cultures spring has been celebrated with rites and festivals revolving around its importance in food production. In European languages, the concept of spring is associated with the sowing of crops. During this time of the year all plants, including cultivated ones, begin growth anew after the dormancy of winter. Animals are greatly affected, too: they come out of their winter dormancy or hibernation and begin their nesting and reproducing activities; and birds migrate poleward in response to the warmer temperatures. LINKS Related Articles Aspects of the topic spring are discussed in the following places at Britannica. Assorted References * temperate forests (in temperate forest (ecology): Population and community development and structure) * tornado incidence (in tornado (meteorology): Seasonal patterns) Citations To cite this page: (*) MLA ( ) APA ( ) Harvard ( ) Chicago Manual of Style MLA Style: "spring." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 03 Feb. 2012. . APA Style: spring. (2012). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/561288/spring Harvard Style: spring 2012. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 03 February, 2012, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/561288/spring Chicago Manual of Style: Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "spring," accessed February 03, 2012, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/561288/spring. This feature allows you to export a Britannica citation in the RIS format used by many citation management software programs. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. * About Us * Privacy Policy * Terms of Use * RSS Feeds * E-mail Updates * Contact Us * Advertise with Us * Games * MORE... IMAGES * cherry trees blossoming [© ultimathule/Shutterstock.com] * cherry trees blossoming [© ultimathule/Shutterstock.com] cherry trees blossoming [© ultimathule/Shutterstock.com] * REFERENCED IN * RELATED TO * EBOOKS, PRIMARY SOURCES & MAGAZINES Assorted References * temperate forests (in temperate forest (ecology): Population and community development and structure) * tornado incidence (in tornado (meteorology): Seasonal patterns) People The following are some people associated with "spring" * Xipe Totec (Aztec deity) Other The following is a selection of items (artistic styles or groups, constructions, events, fictional characters, organizations, publications) associated with "spring" * season (meteorological division) * spring (season) Quick Facts The following are quick facts associated with "spring" * Facts about spring: floods, as discussed in Britannica Compton's Encyclopedia flood: Spring Rain and Ice Jams: * Facts about spring: temperate forests, as discussed in temperate forest (ecology): Population and community development and structure: * Facts about spring: tornado incidence, as discussed in tornado (meteorology): Seasonal patterns: No Additional Content * BRITANNICA INTERNET GUIDE * BRITANNICA WEB SEARCH Britannica's Web Search provides an algorithm that improves the results of a standard web search. 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