In many cultures, spring is seen as a season of life and happiness.  Spring is an important season in mythology because many cultures tell stories to explain why everything grows and thrives in the new season. Spring is especially famous in Greek mythology.

In Greek mythology, Persephone is the goddess of spring.  She was worshipped by the Greek people for giving them plants and crops to eat.  A famous Greek story describes how Persephone became the wife of Hades, the god of the underworld, and how she spends half of each year in the underworld with him.  This story is an important piece of art that symbolizes the cycle of death to life (winter to spring).  These stories are often talked about in history classes and are loved by many.  “In middle school, I loved the Percy Jackson books and they sparked my interest in Greek mythology,” said Dolores Almanza. “It’s always really fun learning about mythology in history class.”

In ancient Egypt, spring was an important season because it’s when they began planting their crops to feed them until next spring.  Their god of spring was named Osiris, who is also known as the king of all Egyptian gods.  In stories about Osiris, he taught humans how to farm effectively and how to use agriculture to help them thrive.  Osiris is another important mythological figure often talked about in history class.  “I remember learning about Egyptian mythology in 6th grade and it was definitely my favorite unit of the whole year, I really like how they have a god for every different aspect of life,” says Nicole Go.

As we enter the spring season, it is nice to think about why spring is so important, no matter the cultural background.