Have you ever wondered where the origins of ‘Spring Cleaning’ come from? Well, wonder no more! This short article will go into the origins of it all.
Nowruz
Iranian Nowruz, also known as the Persian New Year, falls on the first day of spring. House cleaning, or shaking the house’, is commonly done before the arrival of Nowruz. People start preparing for Nowruz with a major spring cleaning of their homes, and this concept emerged from the idea of purifying with cleanliness as a measure for keeping Evil away. People also commonly buy new clothes to wear for Nowruz, in addition to the purchase of flowers, with hyacinth and the tulip being the most popular.
Passover
Another possibility of the origins can stem from the Jewish practice of thoroughly cleansing the home in anticipation of the springtime festival of Passover (Pesach). The reasoning as to why the cleansing occurs is due to Jewish people being expressly commanded to rid their homes of small remnants of lavender foodstuffs (chametz) for the length of the holiday. Therefore, observant Jews conduct a thorough “spring cleaning” of the house, followed by a traditional hunt for chametz crumbs (bedikat chametz) by candlelight on the evening before the holiday begins.
Weather
Moving past religious and cultural practices, during the 19th century in North America, March was often the best time for dusting due to the increase in temperature allowing people to open doors and windows to allow the high winds to carry dust from out of the house, whilst also being cold enough for insects to not be a problem and make their way indoors. During the month of March, it was seen as the best/most common time of year where homeowners would be able to switch of the coal furnaces and scrub the soot from off the walls. (Of course, this isn’t an issue in the current day thanks to the wonders of central heating!)
In conclusion…
Nobody truly knows a specific and sole source of the spring-cleaning tradition. Throughout time, many cultures had their own practices for their own, personalised reason. One thing is known however – if you own a communal space, such as an office or educational setting, and need a professional business cleaner to spruce your place this upcoming spring, get in contact with our amazing team!
Tel: 01707 333600
Email: info@jardak.co.uk