It is a spring rite - the Rockets win a playoff game on the road.

It was near time for spring rites as well as for the advent of strangers.

"FOB" was first performed by students in Hwang's Stanford dormito-ry - part of the spring rites on cam-pus - under the young playwright's direction.

Hoboken's quest to be acknowledged as the site of the first "real" baseball game is a spring rite, the national pastime's version of the Capistrano swallows.

Traditionally, the Căluşari group is a secret, male-only society associated with a spring rite, possibly a remnant of tribal warrior societies.

Of course, gardeners do move plants, usually as part of the spring rite of digging up, dividing and replanting perennials.

The orchid show is a spring rite uniting New Yorkers of kindred blossom - from custodians to brain surgeons.

"And most original spring rite in the world," Mike finished.

To the Editor: You imply that student protests for an ethnic studies department at Columbia University are merely a "spring rite" (news article, April 15).

Traditionally, clipping was a spring rite or took place on the patronal festival.