In France, the definition of Spring varies. Astronomers mark the start of Spring on March 20th with the sun directly above the equator, while meteorologists designate it as beginning on March 1st for simplicity. Phenological Spring has no strict dates and begins when the first snowdrops bloom, often in January due to climate change effects. Regardless of how Spring is defined, it signals the beginning of festivities, including numerous events celebrating local cuisine, such as the Foire Internationale aux Fromages et aux Vins and the Foire au Jambon, which highlight the rich culinary traditions of the region.
The sun will be directly above the equator at 10.01am (France time) on March 20th. This, very clever astronomers will tell you, is the start of Spring.
Equally smart meteorologists, meanwhile, insist that Spring started on March 1st, because they prefer four easy-to-follow three-month seasons.
Or, there's phenological Spring, which has 10 seasons, no fixed dates, and started when you saw the first snowdrops - which, given climate change, was sometime in early January.
The event, which this year runs from April 10th to 13th, celebrates every stage of the creation of the famous hams that proudly bear the Basque town's name.
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