Fling open the windows and let in some fresh air! Spring cleaning was memorialized in Victorian America by Mrs. Beeton in The Book of Household Management. But we’re not the only ones who participate in this annual tradition of renewal—and we weren’t the first.

Victorians used oil lamps and burned coal for light and warmth, so by the time spring rolled around, everything was covered in a nasty grime. Mrs. Beeton reckoned that it was better to clean that mess up before the weather got “too hot for the exertions.”

But spring cleaning is not an American phenomenon—it’s a worldwide ritual of renewal.

The Torah requires that no traces of leaven (typically yeast) be left in the house during Passover, and it takes some serious cleaning to get rid of every crumb.

In many Southeast Asian countries, a festival of purification takes place in the spring. People scrub their homes and pour cleansing water over the statues of Buddha and each other (the world’s biggest water fight?)

The Persian new year is observed on the first day of spring, and a key part of the celebration is “shaking the house” and sweeping away the dust of the old year.

The Japanese call it “big cleaning.” Families meticulously clean their homes to purify their physical space so they can let go of stagnant memories and past problems and make room for new beginnings.

In England, the tradition has evolved into National Spring Cleaning Week, a movement that encompasses the “cleaning” of your finances, computer files, body and even your personal energy.

The fresh start effect

Fun fact: People who are approaching a new decade in life are 48% more likely to run a marathon for the first time. Most of us want to improve ourselves in some way, and the “fresh start effect” is our tendency to take action around meaningful dates. Spring cleaning is our chance to lighten our psychic load, leave the past behind and get a fresh start on our new goals. Oh, and also clean our house.

Need a little more motivation? Check out these 7 ways to make the job a little easier

Christy Rosen Clement is a Pricing Strategy Advisor®, Seller Representative Specialist®, Military Relocation Professional® and REALTOR® at Palermo Real Estate Professionals in South Tampa