Ostara, the spring equinox, is celebrated between March 19th-22nd in South America,
North America and Europe. It is one of the eight Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year calendar. During this time, the sun’s rays hit the equator, causing day and night to be an equal amount of time. Marked as the first day of spring, the earth wakes up and life begins to grow.
Ostara is the Pagan holiday dedicated to honoring the sun’s warmth, light and the
earth’s awakening after a winter’s hibernation. It dates back to ancient Germany where the Saxons, pre-Christian Germanic tribes, celebrated the festival of Ostara. It was also celebrated by Anglo-Saxons in England, who called it Eostre or Eosturmonath. The origins are debated because of a lack of information, but it is theorized that the name came from the Goddess Eostre, either from Anglo-Saxon or Kent County, England origins. No matter the debate, Eostre is a central part of the tradition today.
Symbols of the holiday represent fertility and renewal. Eggs are a symbol of new life
and beginnings. The rabbit represents the abundance of spring. The widest range of symbols for Ostara are flowers. Flowers, herbs and the typical spring colors represent the renewal of the earth and the return of spring. Some of the more notable flowers are daffodils, primroses, forsythia, shamrocks, lilacs, peonies, mint and dandelions. Daffodils, primroses, lilacs and forsythia share the common theme of renewal, rebirth and new beginnings. Shamrocks, mint and peonies represent luck, good fortune and abundance. Dandelions represent wishing and dreams coming true.
Celebrations during Ostara focus on balance, renewal and birth. Rebalancing exercises
are done to calm the body, mind and spirit. Planting seeds during Ostara helps represent growth and birth. Taking a walk in the sunny weather can help rid any sadness experienced during the Winter. Since eggs are a big part of Ostara, painting eggs is a tradition on the holiday. Decorating homes with flowers and spring colors shows an appreciation for the colors and renewal coming. Regardless if one does physical activities or not, it is important to express gratitude and appreciation for the incoming spring season.
Ostara and Eostre sound really close to a holiday almost everyone in the United States is familiar with, Easter. Many of the traditions are similar, too. Scholars suggest that Christians adopted a lot of the traditions from the original Ostara celebration as their own. The word ¨Easter¨ is believed to have come from the word ¨Eostre.¨ As the Pagan beliefs became scarce and Christianity was on the rise, Easter took over.
