Tuesday 21st of March is the Autumn Equinox. The Equinox is a time of balance, a time when the hours of day and night are relatively equal. The March Equinox heralds the southern hemisphere’s fall into Autumn and reminds us that Winter is on its way. After the Equinox, long warm days will slowly be overtaken by longer cooler nights.
In the shadow of the March Equinox is a very special day – National Panda Day! National Panda Day is celebrated on March 16th. It is interesting that a day that celebrates giant pandas falls near the March Equinox. The black and white colouring of the giant panda is a peaceful blend of dark and light and perfectly reflects the symbology of the Equinox. Like the Equinox, the giant panda is a symbol of harmony.

In a surprising coincidence, the giant panda is not the only panda with a connection to the Equinox. The red panda also has its own special day which is celebrated near (or sometimes on) the September Equinox. International Red Panda Day (IRPD) is celebrated on the third Saturday in September. The black, white, brown and red colouring of the red panda make it a great symbol for the southern hemisphere Spring Equinox as the warm colours remind us of the hot Summer coming our way. These same colours are also appropriate for the Autumn Equinox taking place in the northern hemisphere as they are reminiscent of Fall colours. There is even a meme that calls red pandas pumpkin spice racoons which does the rounds during pumpkin spice season.

So whether you’re falling into Fall or springing into Spring – there’s a panda nearby to guide you!
Happy March Equinox!