When the long, grey months of winter are over, and the first green shoots start pushing up through the soil, the arrival of spring feels like a miracle we can never quite get used to. Days start getting longer, the air lighter and cleaner, and there’s a sense of things coming back to life.⁠ ⁠ No wonder we want to throw open windows and give our homes a thorough clean. It’s almost as if we’re sweeping the winter darkness, literally and metaphorically, from our lives and, just like nature, embracing revival and renewal.⁠ ⁠ According to some sources, the tradition of spring-cleaning comes from the Persian New Year, which falls on the first day of spring, and householders in Iran still practice khaneh tekani ‘shaking the house’ in preparation for this day. Read more spring musings on our latest journal post. Link in the bio