By Erin Rebello

As the days start getting warmer and the new grass begins to peek out from the ground, it’s a sure sign that spring is on its way!

As the snow melts, many animals come out of hibernation at this time of year. As a result, many people associate spring with “waking up” and “freshening up”. Many cultures also celebrate this exciting time of year with various customs and traditions. In India, Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colours, where colorful powder is thrown to show joy for the end of the winter and the beginning of the growing season. In North America, Catholics celebrate Easter, and you may be familiar with festivities such as egg hunts! Many people and cultures around the world celebrate the coming of spring. What will you do to celebrate?

One tradition that my family takes part in every spring is the planting of a garden! We work together to decide what seeds and shrubs we want to plant and then spend a day driving around to different plant stores to pick them up. As a family, we prepare the garden with thoughtful weeding and soil-mixing. Then, we get together and plant our seeds and saplings for our blend of vegetables and flowers, which usually include tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, beans, zucchini and different coloured roses! We also take care of our perennial flowers and shrubs from previous years. If you don’t have a backyard, you can always grow plants in pots on a terrace or balcony. A lot of areas also have community gardens where you can work with neighbours to cultivate a garden together! One great thing about this tradition is that it continues through the spring, summer, and fall, so it’s a great way to do something as a family all year round! As a bonus, you also have a beautiful looking garden and tons of fresh produce to munch on! Delicious!

Another great tradition to take part in this spring is DIY projects. With flowers blooming and the sun shining, it’s safe to say that spring is a truly inspirational season! Channel your inner artist and be inspired by the world around you! There are a variety of different crafts you can make; my personal favourites are crafts that can serve as room decor! If you’ve been thinking of growing some plants indoors but think that terra cotta pots look too plain, simply pick up a paintbrush and get to work! This way, you’ll add a splash of colour to your room before your plants even begin to bloom! Another “eggcellent” craft idea is decorating Faberge eggs! In the 1800’s Russian jewelers crafted beautiful eggs made of gold and dripping with gemstones. These eggs cost a fortune and were used as gifts for the Tsars and their families. Although you may not have gold or jewels, with some hollowed out chicken eggs, some spray paint, and a couple rhinestones, you can make your very own customized Faberge eggs! These eggs also work great if you celebrate Easter or you’re planning an egg hunt!

As boring as it sounds, spring cleaning is another great tradition that you should consider adopting this year! Considering the fact that spring is about renewal and regrowth, now is a great time to catch up on all that cleaning you’ve been putting off for months! While you may have a tidy room, take some time to do a deep clean, vacuuming those hard to reach spots and dusting every nook and cranny. This is also an excellent opportunity to sort through your belongings and decide whether you want to keep them or not. Chances are, you’ll find a lot of toys or clothes that you’ve outgrown that are still taking up space in your room. Instead of just dumping unwanted items into the landfill, be sure to consider what can be given to friends, donated to thrift stores, or sent to a  recycling plant! Though this whole ‘spring cleaning’ thing may seem like a chore at first, having a clean and tidy room allows for new growth productivity in this new season!