Our “Springtime” Holidays

Here in Toronto, 36 cm - about 14” - of snow fell on Tu B’Shevat, the “Festival of the Trees”, and the high temperature that day was -6 Celsius (that’s 21.2 for those of you who still think in Fahrenheit). Purim will take place on March 17, and the average temperature here is 1 degree C on that day. By Pesach, April 15, we expect to begin to enjoying spring-like weather, while we try to forget the inevitability of one last April snowfall.

The old saying “April showers bring May flowers” belies our reality – typically, it’s May showers bring June flowers, here. In fact, prevailing wisdom is that it’s only safe to plant after the second-last weekend in May, when the threat of a late frost is gone. ​ Here in the colder part of the world, the first of the so-called “springtime” holidays coincide, not with the beginning of the new season, but with the tiring reality of a winter that seems to drag on indefinitely. 

Thankfully, their warm messages of joy, hope, and renewal are just what we need to carry us through our coldest and darkest time of year. They signal the warmth of the seasons to come.