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| Ēostre by Jacques Reich |
In the Northern Hemisphere, on or about March 20th, many Pagans celebrate the sabbat (holiday) of Ostara. Happening on the Spring Equinox, Ostara is a holiday celebrated to mark the beginning of spring. Unlike many Pagan holidays that have a history in Celtic tradition, the Celts did not observe this equinox. Instead, Ostara comes to us from German tradition and is said to be named after the German goddess Eostre. Eostre, a fertility goddess, has been associated with both rabbits and eggs, both signs of fertility.
People around the world have celebrations on various March dates to mark the passing of winter and the coming spring. Many of these celebrations go back to ancient times. The Norse celebration of spring was called Summer Finding. In Poland spring is celebrated on Marzenna. Ancient Romans celebrated Hilaria, an observation of spring and of the goddess Cybele. Buddhists and Hindus honor spring at Hoi. Maybe one of the most obvious celebrations of the month is the Christian holiday of Easter.
Different Pagan traditions might celebrate Ostara in a variety of ways, but there are some traditional themes and symbolism for the day: new life, rebirth, fertility, balance, communication, growth, love, sex and agriculture. Blessing and starting seeds on Ostara is a common practice for Pagans with green thumbs.
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1 Comments:
I'm normally solitary, but occasionally I will attempt the random holiday celebration with a coven. I did one Ostara with a family coven who said the holiday was more for kids. The kids got to cast the circle and do the prayers. It was cute, but I wish that we would have done a more adult ritual too. Have you heard the kid rule about Ostara too?
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