{"id":17869,"date":"2023-03-20T08:30:59","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T06:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/press.mu-varna.bg\/?p=17869"},"modified":"2023-03-16T16:43:02","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T14:43:02","slug":"%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%b7%d0%bd%d1%83%d0%b2%d0%b0%d0%bc%d0%b5-20-%d0%bc%d0%b0%d1%80%d1%82","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/press.mu-varna.bg\/en\/%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%b7%d0%bd%d1%83%d0%b2%d0%b0%d0%bc%d0%b5-20-%d0%bc%d0%b0%d1%80%d1%82\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Ready to Celebrate The UN\u2019s International Day of Happiness and the Spring Equinox?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s welcome together the Vernal Equinox<\/strong>\u2014the event marking the arrival of the astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere! At this moment, the sun is located directly on the celestial equator, approximately 12 hours above the horizon and 12 hours below the horizon. The equinoxes on that day have been tracked with a fairly high degree of accuracy by a number of ancient cultures and civilizations that have used the sun in their architectural creations: monuments, temples, and buildings serving as calendars. El Castillo Pyramid in Chichen Itza, Mexico; Stonehenge in Wiltshire, UK; Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia; Mnajdra Megalithic Temple Complex in Malta; and Hovenweep Castle in Southeastern Utah, USA, are just a few of these creations.<\/p>\n

The Vernal Equinox is better known in Bulgaria as the First Spring<\/strong>. It is often traditionally honoured by locals a few days later, on March 25th, along with the major Christian Church holiday Blagoveshtenie <\/strong>(Annunciation). There are several superstitious folklore rituals linked to this celebration, including: waking up early to start the day so that the upcoming year is favourable to you; sweeping the floors of the house and burning the collected garbage to get rid of the bad energy and spirits that might have been around you; bringing a gold or silver coin in your pocket to ensure a prosperous year; carrying a piece of bread with you so that there is always food on the table for your family; etc. This is the day when most Bulgarians declutter their homes of all the unnecessary possessions they own. Gardeners are preparing flower beds, planting trees, and planting fresh herbs. The traditional festive meal served in every home includes: peppers stuffed with walnuts, onion pie, fresh nettle soup, parsley and dill salad, walnut and dried fruit bread, and, of course, fish\u2014grilled or boiled.<\/p>\n

Today is the day to let go of all negative emotions and mark a fresh new beginning. By no chance, it was also designated the International Day of Happiness<\/strong>. Although it started being celebrated quite recently, it is rapidly gaining popularity worldwide. It was launched in the Kingdom of Bhutan during the sixty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly on July 12, 2012, called “Happiness and Well-Being: Defining a New Economic Paradigm”. March 20th was then officially declared the UN\u2019s International Day of Happiness and Prosperity. Bhutan became world famous at the beginning of the 1970s for its unconventional measure of national development: Gross National Happiness<\/strong> (GNH).<\/p>\n

Bhutan has four pillars of GNH: effective governance; sustainable socioeconomic development (equitable society, free health care, and education); the preservation and promotion of the country’s cultural identity; and the protection of the environment and natural resources for future generations.<\/p>\n

In his book The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World<\/strong>, Eric Weiner, a foreign correspondent for the US National Public Radio, shares:<\/p>\n

In a nutshell, Gross National Happiness seeks to measure a nation\u2019s progress not by its balance sheet but rather by the happiness\u2014or unhappiness\u2014of its people. It\u2019s a concept that represents a profound shift from how we think about money and satisfaction and the obligation of a government to its people<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In Bhutan, this day is celebrated with meditation. Here’s how other countries around the globe celebrate happiness<\/strong>:<\/p>\n