Equinox celebrations held at Stonehenge

Hundreds of people gathered at Stonehenge on Friday to mark the spring equinox.

The ceremony celebrates the time of the year when day and night are almost equal in length. Druids and pagans see it as a time of renewal and rebirth.

At the ancient stones site in Wiltshire, and at nearby Avebury, people gathered to chant, drum and observe the sunrise just after 6:00 GMT.

Worshippers observed a moment of silence as the sun peeked through the clouds and illuminated the stones.

The spring equinox is tied to seasonal cycles and ancient ritual practices. In the Neolithic era, sunlight provided warmth for people and their animals and helped their crops to grow.

For this year's Spring Equinox, English Heritage had several rules in place. People were not allowed to climb on the stones or bring alcohol, drugs, glass and drones. Camping was also not permitted.

Revellers will return to Stonehenge and Avebury on 21 June, when the summer solstice is celebrated.

People also visited Avebury today to mark the equinox. Elements of Avebury posted there was a "frost on the land, sparkling and twinkling in the light."

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