As the cold weather comes to a halt and temperatures rise, spring approaches, as does the urge to clean.
This is known as spring cleaning, a tradition integrated into societies worldwide. Spring cleaning is a seasonal deep clean of your house done in the months of March, April, and May. It focuses on cleaning up the dust and clutter produced by the wintery weather.
Many don’t always understand that the tradition of spring cleaning dates back a long time.
Ms. Bye, a teacher at Oakmont Regional High School, said, “I never knew about the origins [of spring cleaning],” even though she says she cleans in the spring every year.
A wide variety of cultures have very different origins, but somehow, most found themselves cleaning around the months of March, April, and May. Specifically, spring cleaning has roots that date back all the way to ancient times.
According to National Geographic, spring cleaning first appeared in the Jewish tradition of Passover, where people would annually get rid of leavened bread. But as years went on, other religions started to show signs of also participating in spring cleaning.
According to The Ancient History of Spring Cleaning, Catholics found themselves cleaning altars in churches. This would always take place on the Thursday before Good Friday. This further demonstrates how religions were some of the first groups to begin the tradition of spring cleaning.
But as years went on, so did the expansion of spring cleaning. A tradition that was once adopted by religious groups started to reach a larger population of people and countries. Many regions started to implement their own way of cleaning in the spring.
In China, it was found that before the Lunar New Year (which occurs on Feb 6th), it was common to cleanse and clean homes of bad luck and misfortune. This was known as “sweeping the dust,” which, according to National Geographic, made way for a “new year’s good luck and prosperity”.
Similarly, Thailand cleans right before the Thai New Year. Thailand thoroughly cleans out schools, homes, and businesses to refresh for the upcoming year.
The tradition of cleaning during the months of March, April, and May grew continuously for the next couple of decades and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. It may be hard to believe, but recently there has been an even larger number of people who have decided to take on the challenge of spring cleaning.
The National Cleaning Survey stated that 55% of people have been cleaning more since COVID-19, showing that there has been an influx of people who have taken to spring cleaning.
At Oakmont Regional High School, it’s clear this statistic is not just a cop out, but a fact.
Stazja Hines, a sophomore at Oakmont, said she and her family have always done spring cleaning. “We kinda just do it without realizing.”
Spring cleaning seems to have become a habit for many students here at Oakmont, as Ahnica Seidlich, a sophomore at Oakmont said, “My family has always done spring cleaning, I just don’t think we even realize we do, it’s kinda weird.”
Students and families tend clean in the spring without realizing it because, as humans, we look for ways to feel fresh.
Psychologically, spring cleaning is said to lighten your mood, improve your health, and increase your productivity, according to Dignity Health. Spring cleaning can lighten your mood due to its ability to reduce stress.
Clutter is known to overwhelm your senses, so by eliminating clutter, stress is reduced, and your mood is boosted. The Institutes of Living builds off this idea by stating how spring cleaning can also help to improve your breathing. Over the course of the wintery weather, sometimes pollen and dust mites build up, resulting in sinus issues. Spring cleaning helps to eliminate those harmful factors, resulting in fewer symptoms.
With that being said, it is clear that spring cleaning can help to improve your overall physical health as it helps to improve patterns of breathing.
Spring cleaning has become a worldwide phenomenon, as cultures and religions have used it to shape their identities, as well as to explore the psychological and physical health benefits that result from spring cleaning.
Spring cleaning is not only just something you do to get rid of old clothes or clean out garages, it’s a way to bring a positive outlook and healthy mindset to the next season.
