Pagan Spring Festival The Pagan Spring Festival is a celebration that occurs around the spring equinox, typically in March. It is rooted in ancient pagan traditions and is still observed by some modern pagan and Wiccan communities. The festival represents a time of rebirth and renewal, as it marks the arrival of spring and the end of the cold winter months. It is a time when nature comes alive again, with trees budding, flowers blooming, and animals awakening from hibernation. During the Pagan Spring Festival, people often engage in various rituals and ceremonies to honor the changing seasons and the return of life. These rituals may include offerings to nature spirits, meditations on the symbolism of spring, and the lighting of bonfires or candles to symbolize the return of light and warmth.
How can you celebrate Ostara?
Before a tree could be cut down, a stream dammed, a mountain crossed, a spring drunk from or an animal disturbed, the individual guardian spirit had first to be placated. Local variants of Walpurgis Night are observed throughout Northern and Central Europe in the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Lithuania, Finland, Estonia and Austria.
These rituals may include offerings to nature spirits, meditations on the symbolism of spring, and the lighting of bonfires or candles to symbolize the return of light and warmth. One common practice during the festival is the decorating of eggs, which represents new beginnings and fertility. This tradition has been adapted by many cultures and is still seen in the modern celebration of Easter.
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Vana Grimoire: Ostara
In the Vana Grimoire series, we share tips and background information on pagan festivals, recipes, mythologies, history and other worth knowing subjects that are related to our events. In this blog we will dive into the pagan festival Ostara.
The pagan festival takes place around March 21, every year. It is marked by the March equinox. During this festival the day and night are of the same length.
Even though Easter is still a month away, the Christian festival took many symbols from the Ostara rituals.
What is Ostara en what is it celebrating?
The name Ostara is derived from the Germanic goddess Eostre, also known as Ostara. She is the goddess of spring, life, and fertility. During the March equinox, her return is celebrated. The days become longer and light overpowers darkness after the long, cold winter nights. It marks the start of spring.
During this spring festival, we reflect on the way nature awakens and everything will grow and bloom again. A fertile period is starting for man, kettle and nature. The festival is a promise to a fruitful year.
In former times they used multiple rituals to enhance this fertility. These rituals embrace the idea of letting go of the past and welcoming the new. The ancient symbols of fertility, the egg and the hare, are depicted on decorations.
In which ways are Ostara and Easter alike?
The name Eostre sounds like Easter. That is why it's speculated that Ostara is the base for the Christian Easter celebrations.
For Christianity, Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus. This reflects the symbolism of spring creating a new start and giving nature life.
The hare and the egg, the symbols of fertility, are implemented in Easter as well. One of the Dutch Easter songs has the phrase:
“Éen ei is geen ei, twee ei is een half ei en drie ei is een paasei.”
[translation: One egg isn't an egg, two eggs are a half egg and three eggs are an Easter egg.]
It is said that this is a reference to the holy trinity, which plays a central part in Christianity.
The date of Easter changes every year, but we can calculate when it is by looking at the March equinox. Start at the equinox and look in the moon calendar for the next full moon. The first Sunday after that full moon is Easter Sunday.
It remains unclear how the habit of painting eggs started. Suspected is that it only started because of the Christian Lent before Easter. During this period people were not allowed to eat eggs, but their hens kept laying eggs. As a way of marking how old the saved eggs were, people started using colours and patterns to mark the shells. Once Easter started and everyone could eat eggs again, the kitchen table held a festive, colourful stack of eggs.
How can you celebrate Ostara?
Of course, there is no right or wrong way to celebrate Ostara. With the right intentions, you can form your celebration whichever way you like. But we would like to highlight some activities you could use to add to your own festivities.
There are many ways to implement the egg as a fertility symbol in rituals.
If you take part in a big celebration, let everyone bring a boiled egg. Everyone hides their egg and the egg hunt starts. Eveyone should try and find one egg (not your own, of course).
These eggs could previously be decorated with a wish, spell or goals for the oncoming year. The goal on your newly found egg will guide you through the year.
Afterwards, you can gift your egg to the earth by burying it, or eat is yourself.
The previous pagan festival was Imbolc. This day was marked by cleansing and leaving all old burdens, One of the customs is to collect seeds in a pouch. Now, during Ostara, it is time to sow these seeds.
These days, you may want to bring spring inside. Decorate your home and garden with fresh spring flowers and make your whole house smell wonderful by baking hot cross buns.
There are many more customs and rituals to celebrate Ostara. For more inspiration, read Lunadea's blog about Ostara and preparing your spring altar. Which customs do you feel should be added to the list?
By Lena Gijsbrechts
The ancestors of the Easter bunny.
Another important aspect of the Pagan Spring Festival is the celebration of the goddess Ostara, who represents fertility, rebirth, and the return of light. Many pagans see her as a symbol of the Earth's cycle of life, death, and rebirth. In addition to these spiritual practices, the Pagan Spring Festival is often a time for community gatherings and festivities. People may come together for feasts, dancing, and other social events to celebrate the changing of the seasons and to cultivate a sense of unity and connection with nature. Overall, the Pagan Spring Festival is a time for pagans and Wiccans to honor and celebrate the cycles of nature, embrace the energy of renewal and rebirth, and cultivate a deeper connection with the Earth and all living beings. It serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of all things and the importance of living in harmony with the natural world..
Reviews for "The Healing Powers of Herbs: Herbalism in the Pagan Spring Festival"
1. Jane - 2/5 stars - "I was really excited to attend the Pagan Spring Festival, but I was disappointed with the overall experience. The event was poorly organized, with long lines for everything, including getting in and using the restrooms. The entertainment lineup was lackluster, and the food options were limited and overpriced. Overall, it felt like a cheap and poorly planned event. I wouldn't recommend attending unless significant improvements are made."
2. Mike - 3/5 stars - "The Pagan Spring Festival had potential, but it fell short in several areas. The main issue was the lack of activities and attractions. There were only a few vendors selling generic pagan merchandise, and the workshops offered were uninteresting and poorly executed. Additionally, the festival grounds were overcrowded, making it difficult to fully enjoy the experience. Although it had a nice concept, the festival needs more variety and better organization to truly appeal to a wider audience."
3. Sarah - 1/5 stars - "I had high expectations for the Pagan Spring Festival, but unfortunately, it was a complete letdown. The event felt more like a cash grab than a genuine celebration of pagan culture. The entrance fee was exorbitant for what was offered, and the quality of the entertainment was below par. Moreover, the organizers did a poor job of managing the crowd, resulting in chaos and long waits for everything. It was a disappointing experience that I wouldn't recommend to anyone interested in a true pagan festival."
4. John - 2/5 stars - "As someone who was looking forward to exploring pagan traditions, the Pagan Spring Festival was a huge disappointment. The entire event lacked authenticity and depth. Most of the workshops and talks felt surface-level and failed to provide any real insight into pagan practices. The vendors were mainly selling mass-produced trinkets rather than genuine pagan artifacts. Overall, it felt like a poorly executed attempt to capitalize on a popular trend rather than a genuine celebration of pagan traditions. I left feeling unsatisfied and would not attend again."