Ostara
March 20th-21st
Festival of Ostara (Eostre), the Spring Goddess. This is a festival of renewal, rejoicing and fertility, although for most of the Northern People, the forces of Winter are still at full sway. In ancient times, the gift of colored eggs to one's friends and loved ones was a way of wishing them well for the coming season; a magical ritual of prosperity and fecundity. The rabbit was the symbol of this festival as well because of it's re-emergence during this season, and for its reproductive ability. These two rituals have survived into the modern holiday of Easter (which derives its name from Eostre) as Easter eggs and the Easter bunny. Like most ancient heathen rituals, they are relegated into the world of children; held for naught among adults; but the race memory lingers on.
Ostara, the Spring Equinox around March 22, is named after an obscure Germanic goddess of spring about whom almost nothing is known. Freya is often hailed at this time as the Spring Maiden, the greenery springing up in her footsteps. Iduna is also hailed now as the Apple Blossom Goddess, but it is also very popular to hail Thor at this time. Thor’s traditional holiday is January 17, which ironically gets more blizzards than thunderstorms, but at Ostara he comes into his own with the spring rains that bring life to the fields. Gefjon may be hailed as a plowing goddess, Gna as the rider on the wild spring winds, and Njord for the fishermen that are now taking their boats from winter docking and sailing out on the sea. Traditionally, eggs are painted on this day, so it may have an aspect of celebrating Craft – one reason why the Duergar, or crafting Dwarves, are celebrated now as coming out of their deep caves for the first time since autumn.
Ostara, the Spring Equinox around March 22, is named after an obscure Germanic goddess of spring about whom almost nothing is known. Freya is often hailed at this time as the Spring Maiden, the greenery springing up in her footsteps. Iduna is also hailed now as the Apple Blossom Goddess, but it is also very popular to hail Thor at this time. Thor’s traditional holiday is January 17, which ironically gets more blizzards than thunderstorms, but at Ostara he comes into his own with the spring rains that bring life to the fields. Gefjon may be hailed as a plowing goddess, Gna as the rider on the wild spring winds, and Njord for the fishermen that are now taking their boats from winter docking and sailing out on the sea. Traditionally, eggs are painted on this day, so it may have an aspect of celebrating Craft – one reason why the Duergar, or crafting Dwarves, are celebrated now as coming out of their deep caves for the first time since autumn.
Ostara feast marks the beginning of the summer half of the year. It is named after the goddess Ostara (Anglo-Saxon Eostre), who was such an integral part of heathen Germanic culture that the Christians stole and absorbed it as their own spring feast which was adapted for the Paschal holiday, and was converted to the Christian Easter. Her name is related to the Germanic words for “east” and “glory”; she was the embodiment of the springtime and the renewal of life.
At the equinox, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. In the northern hemisphere, before Ostara, the sun rises and sets more and more to the south, and afterwards, it rises and sets more and more to the north.
spring equinox is the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere. The holiday is a celebration the rejuvenation of the Earth, fertility and growth; traditional decorations include budding boughs, flowers, decorated eggs and the Rabbit motif.
Heathen folk customs associated especially with Ostara’s feast include the painting and hunting of Easter eggs, which, according to German tradition, were brought or laid by the ‘Easter Hare’ (the earliest form of the slightly diminished American ‘Easter Bunny’). The Hare was the holy beast of Ostara, slain and eaten only at her blessing. In Germany, bakeries sell hare-shaped cakes at this time of year. Fires were also kindled on the hilltops at dawn, especially in Germany. Another common folk-custom which still survives in rural areas is the performance of plays at which Summer battles with Winter and drives him out, or at which an effigy embodying Winter is beaten, burned, or drowned.
Today, Ostara is seen as the feast to awakening the Earth, the gods and goddesses, and the human soul. Life becomes brighter and more joyful after the Ostara feast has been rightly held.
At the equinox, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. In the northern hemisphere, before Ostara, the sun rises and sets more and more to the south, and afterwards, it rises and sets more and more to the north.
spring equinox is the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere. The holiday is a celebration the rejuvenation of the Earth, fertility and growth; traditional decorations include budding boughs, flowers, decorated eggs and the Rabbit motif.
Heathen folk customs associated especially with Ostara’s feast include the painting and hunting of Easter eggs, which, according to German tradition, were brought or laid by the ‘Easter Hare’ (the earliest form of the slightly diminished American ‘Easter Bunny’). The Hare was the holy beast of Ostara, slain and eaten only at her blessing. In Germany, bakeries sell hare-shaped cakes at this time of year. Fires were also kindled on the hilltops at dawn, especially in Germany. Another common folk-custom which still survives in rural areas is the performance of plays at which Summer battles with Winter and drives him out, or at which an effigy embodying Winter is beaten, burned, or drowned.
Today, Ostara is seen as the feast to awakening the Earth, the gods and goddesses, and the human soul. Life becomes brighter and more joyful after the Ostara feast has been rightly held.