The Vernal Equinox Celebration is happening again this year to celebrate Vernal’s name and the start of spring. The Vernal Equinox is the day each year in which the sun shines directly over the equator, marking equal hours of day and night and the slow increase of more daylight moving forward. Another way to put it, according to the Weather Channel, is that instead of any tilt away from or toward the sun, the earth’s axis of rotation is perpendicular to the line connecting the center of the earth and the sun. Vernal was originally known as Ashley Center but was renamed because the town’s first Postmaster felt the name would cause confusion with mail delivery because there was a town named Ashley just a few miles north. The name of Vernal, which was the first town registered with that name in the United States, was chosen to reflect a new beginning. Many downtown businesses will be offering specials or activities as part of the Vernal Equinox Celebration this year on March 20th. Businesses wanting to participate can find the QR code on the Vernal City Facebook page.
