Easter is a religious holiday that is widely celebrated by Christians around the world. However, there are alternative beliefs and practices that focus on different aspects of this holiday. One such belief system is Wicca, a modern pagan, witchcraft religion. In Wicca, the celebration of Easter takes on a different meaning. Rather than focusing on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Wiccans view Easter as a celebration of the rebirth of nature and the awakening of the earth following the long, dark winter months. For Wiccans, Easter is aligned with the spring equinox, which typically occurs around March 20th or 21st in the northern hemisphere.
Spring Equinox, the Eostre Bunny, and Other Wiccan Mysteries
The end of March is the focus for a number of religious and traditional celebrations. As the sun appears to cross the earth’s equator on the 20th or 21st of March, entering the Zodiacal sign of Aries, day and night become equal in length. This astronomical phenomenon is a day anciently revered amongst Pagan peoples. Their festivals included Alban Elfed (Autumn Equinox), the Teutonic festival in honor of Eostre, Roman Hilaria Matris Deûm, Welsh Gwyl Canol Gwenwynol (“Day of the Gorse”), the Wiccan Eostar (Ostara) Sabbat and the Christian Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Lady Day), as well as Easter itself.
Eostre – the Germanic goddess of dawn and fertility, whose name gives us the word Easter – must be pleased. Two millennia of Christianity, and she has yet to be displaced from our annual celebration of fecundity. Easter egg hunts nod to both pagan and Christian traditions. Eggs, naturally, represent birth and they remain a central part of Christian Easter celebrations in most European countries. – Justine Hankins, The Guardian UK
Origins and History of Ostara
Today, Ostara is one of the eight major holidays, sabbats or festivals of Wicca. It is celebrated on the Spring Equinox, which in the northern hemisphere is around the 20th or 21st of March and in the southern hemisphere around the 23rd of September. Its modern revival is linked to some of the oldest traditions of mankind.
The Month of the Goddess
The name is thought to be derived from a goddess of German legend, according to Jacob Grimm in his Deutsche Mythologie. A similar goddess named Eostre was described by the Venerable Bede. Bede indicated that this name was used in English when the Paschal (Passover) holiday was introduced. Since then this name (not the holiday) has been converted to Easter, or in German Ostern. Some scholars question both Bede’s and Grimm’s conclusions due to a lack of supporting evidence for this goddess. Others argue that a lack of further documentation is not surprising given that Bede is credited with writing the first substantial history of England (in which he described Eostre as a goddess whose worship had already passed) and Grimm was specifically attempting to capture oral traditions before they might be lost.
Despite these reservations, the idea of Eostre has become firmly established in many minds. Without any consideration of these problems, the folklorist Dr Jonathan Young categorically states:
Easter has deep roots in the mythic past. Long before it was imported into the Christian tradition, the Spring festival honored the goddess Eostre or Eastre.
Ostara (1884) by Johannes Gehrts. The goddess, divinity of the radiant dawn, surrounded by beams of light, animals, and people looking up from the realm below.
According to Bede and Einhard in his Life of Charlemagne, the month called Eostremonat (Ostaramanoth) was equated with April. This would put the start of “Ostara’s Month” after the Equinox in March. It must be taken into account that these “translations” of calendar months were approximate as the old forms were predominantly lunar months while the new were based on a solar year. Thus start of Eostremonat would actually have fallen in late March and could thus still be associated with the Spring Equinox.
The holiday is a celebration of spring and growth, the renewal of life that appears on the earth after the winter. In mythology it is often characterized by the rejoining of the goddess and her lover-brother-son, who spent the winter months in death. This is an interesting parallel to the biblical story in which Jesus is resurrected (the reason Christians celebrate Easter), pointing to another appropriation of pre-Christian religious figures, symbols and myths by early Christianity.
Word Origins. Etymologically, Eostre, or, as it is sometimes called, Ostara, may come from the word “east,” meaning dawn. Others have also tried to link Eostre with “estrogen” and “estrus.” These words, however, are more widely considered to be derived from the Greek oistros, meaning “gadfly” or “frenzy.” Interestingly, the word “spring” (from to spring, to leap or jump up, burst out, 0ld English springan, a common Teutonic word, compare to the German springen), primarily the act of springing or leaping, is applied to the season of the year in which plant life begins to bud and shoot.
The Antiquity of Ostara. Ostara is a modern Wiccan festival and there is no evidence that Spring Equinox festivals were called by this name in the past. However, there is no direct proof of many Christian or pagan traditions, so a lack of evidence should not necessarily be taken as disproof.
Wiccan Interpretations
The Cycle of Birth, Death and Rebirth
Goddess of fertility and new beginnings, we take this opportunity to embrace Eostre’s passion for new life and let our own lives take the new direction we have wanted for so long. (Goddess.com.au)
Many Wiccans situate Eostre (Ostara) within a symbolic cycle of birth, death and rebirth. As the quotation above demonstrates, the particular role of Eostre is internalized and turned into a self-empowering meditation. Again Dr. Young re-inforces this, by no means definitive, interpretation: “The annual event in honour of Eastre celebrated new life and renewal.”
However, other views also add a darker element, according to Mike Nichols: “The god of light now wins a victory over his twin, the god of darkness.”
Nichols has attempted a reconstruction of the symbolic events of this time of year using the Welth mych-cycle of the Mabinogion. By this interpretation the Spring Equinox is the day on which the reborn Llew exacts his revenge on Goronwy by piercing him with the spear of sunlight. Reborn or returned to health at the Winter Solstice, Llew is now able to challenge and defeat his rival twin and mate with his lover/mother. Meanwhile the “Great Mother Goddess, miraculously returned to virginity at Candlemas, now receives the sun god’s advances and conceives a child. This child will be born at the next Winter Solstice, nine months from now, at once closing the cycle and re-opening it.
STORY: The Pagan Spring Fertility Origins of May Day
The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary marks when Angel Gabriel announces that she would give birth to Jesus Christ, with many celebrating the feast of Christ’s Incarnation on March 25, nine full months before Christmas. Painting: Petrus Christus, “The Annunciation.”
Christianity and Easter
Contrary to what the Church may tell you, Christianity came late to the Easter party. There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the apostolic Fathers. A comment made by St. Chrysostom on I Cor. V. 7 has been supposed to refer to an apostolic observance of Easter, but this is erroneous. The sanctity of special times was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians. The ecclesiastical historian Socrates (Hist. Eccl. V. 22) states that neither Jesus nor his followers enjoined the keeping of this or any other festival. He attributes the observance of Easter by the Church to the perpetuation of an old tradition, just as many other customs have been established.
Easter Bunny Pagan Origins, Superstitions and Traditions
Elements of old beliefs linger in current “superstitions.” According to these, it is said that something new should be worn at Easter to bring good luck. Easter Parades reflect this idea about wearing new clothes.
It was the Germans who came up with the odd idea of an egg-laying hare or rabbit that left gifts for children who had gone to the trouble of leaving their caps or bonnets out for rabbits to nest in. This quaint custom arrived in the US along with German migrants.
Eggs and Rabbits. The Easter Bunny is German in origin. He first appears in literature in 16th century as a deliverer of eggs. All rabbits and hares were thought to lay eggs on Easter Day, but the Easter Bunny specifically sought out and rewarded well-behaved children with colored eggs in a manner reminiscent of Yule customs. The movements of the hare, leaping and zig-zagging across the fields, were thought to hold clues to the coming year.
Easter, the preeminent feast that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, is clearly the earliest Christian festival, focused on the redemptive act of God in the death and resurrection of Christ.
Eggs themselves are obvious symbols of resurrection and continuing life, as well as fertility. Early humans thought the return of the sun from winter darkness was an annual miracle, and saw the egg as a natural wonder and proof of the renewal of life. As Christianity spread the egg was adopted as a symbol of Jesus’s alleged resurrection from the tomb. According to Young, the Easter Bunny is:
a continuation of the reverence shown during the spring rites to the rabbit as a symbol of abundance. The honoring of such emblems of fertility extended to eggs. The egg serves as a representation of new life. It stands for the renewing power of nature and, by extension, agriculture. The egg can also symbolize regeneration in a spiritual or psychological sense. The ritual of coloring Easter eggs stems from the tradition of painting eggs in bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring.
Young goes on to suggest that: “This might also be a good time to find the inner Easter Bunny.”
Brief Bibliography
- Bede, De Temp. Rat. c. xv.
- St Chrysostom, Commentary on I Cor. V. 7.
- Einhard, Life of Charlemagne, trans Samuel Epes Turner. Harper and Brothers, 1880.
- Encyclopedia Britannica, 1911.
- Goddess.com.au, accessed 9th February, 2006.
- Grimm, Jakob, Deutsche Mythologie. 1835.
- Nichols, Mike, ‘Lady Day: The Vernal Equinox’, 1999.
- Socrates, Hist. Eccl. V. 22.
- Young, Jonathan, ‘Symbolism of Spring’, Vision Magazine, April 2003.
Wiccan Holidays – Ostara
March 27, 2021
Updated: February 28, 2022
Estimated Read Time: 12 Minutes According to the Wheel of the Year, the eight holidays that are crucial to Wiccan practices correspond to the key points in the Earth’s journey around the Sun. The two solstice festivals are Yule and Litha — resulting in the longest night and/or the longest day of the year, depending on the hemisphere you live in. But today, we’re going to talk about Ostara(pronounced oh-star-uh) — the spring equinox. During the equinox, whether it be Ostara or Mabon, both of the Earth’s hemispheres get the same amount of daylight. But what’s the spiritual significance of such events? More importantly, how do we incorporate our beliefs into the way we celebrate Ostara? These are some of the questions we’re about to answer.
For Wiccans, Easter is aligned with the spring equinox, which typically occurs around March 20th or 21st in the northern hemisphere. It is a time to honor the Goddess and the God, who represent the feminine and masculine energies of the universe, respectively. This holiday is often referred to as Ostara in the Wiccan tradition, named after the Germanic goddess of spring.
What is Ostara? A Brief History of the Holiday
Jack Taylor / Getty Images As we have established, Ostara is the festival marking the spring equinox. It’s the first equinox event after the winter solstice. However, since the Wiccan calendar also marks the four cross-quarter solar events of the year, Ostara actually happens between Imbolc and Beltane.
When is Ostara?
If you’re new to Wiccan festivities, you may be wondering what that means. When is Ostara celebrated, exactly? Well, since the holiday is supposed to mark the beginning of the spring season, we usually celebrate it on March 20th. However, in a broader sense, the festival usually happens between March 19th and 22nd, depending on one’s location.
Wiccan Easter
At this point, you might have noticed that between the name of this holiday and its general timeline, it looks quite similar to another spring festival we all know of. That’s right — Easter is the Christian version of Ostara. The two holidays even share some of the same symbols! And is anyone surprised by these similarities? After all, most Wiccan holidays have a Christian counterpart. Some of our festivals even got absorbed into the mainstream without having a Christian equivalent. The cross-quarter event between Mabon and Yule, Samhain — aka Halloween — is one such holiday. Presumably, that kind of cross-cultural absorption happened as Christianity spread in areas where pagan beliefs were already established. So with that in mind, let’s talk about the goddess behind Ostara.
Ostara Goddess of Spring
If you grew up celebrating Easter, you might have found yourself wondering about the etymology of the word. Well, we’re here to satisfy your curiosity. Ultimately, “Easter” comes from the germanic word “Eostre”, which is the name of the goddess of spring and dawn. The earliest mention of the goddess Eostre comes to us from a treatise written in 725. De temporum ratione or the Reckoning of Time describes the calendars of various ancient peoples, including the Anglo-Saxons. As such, it briefly mentions the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring — Eostre. According to the monk who wrote the treatise, the whole month of April — aptly referred to as Eostremonath — was devoted to the worship of that deity. Illustrated by ThaliaTook Other than that, we don’t have much information about the original goddess. Jacob Grimm, one of the Grimm Brothers, described her as a deity that brings light, joy, and blessings. Jacob Grimm also explained some of Ostara rituals the pagans might have performed. For example, they would have lit bonfires on the day. Young women would have been wearing white on the day to celebrate the maiden goddess. Of course, it’s hard to say how much of the original beliefs were around by the time the Grimm Brothers were alive. But seeing as how Ostara’s name became Easter, we shouldn’t be too surprised that some of the original symbolism of the holiday was preserved. But we’ll get to that later. For now, let’s talk about the contemporary meaning of Ostara.
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The Triple Goddess and Other Spring Deities
Created by Reddit User darkelfas In contemporary Wiccan beliefs, we don’t necessarily worship the goddess in the same way these Anglo-Saxons did. For one, every practitioner may choose the patron deity they identify with the most. After all, many different cultures have female deities of the spring season that are also celebrated around the same time. So if you identify with the story of Persephone, you can choose her as your patron goddess. The Greek goddess Eos (or Aurora, as the Romans called her) also has some similarities to Eostre — and we’re not just talking about their respective names. Like Eostre, Eos was the goddess of dawn. On the other hand, if we’re looking for springtime deities specifically, there are other pantheons to consider. For example, in Slavic paganism, the goddess of spring is usually known as Lada, Vesna, or Kostroma. According to some stories, that deity is a reincarnation (of sorts) of the winter goddess Marzanna or Morana. That cyclical nature of a female deity is something we see in modern Wiccan beliefs too. After all, the goddess most Wiccans celebrate during Ostara isn’t the Eostre of yore. Instead, we honor the Triple Goddess, who makes her way through the different stages of her life as each of the Wiccan festivals rolls around. Illustrated by Razulude During Ostara, the Wiccan goddess is at the height of her power in her maiden form. Because of that, the symbolism surrounding this holiday is all about fertility and new beginnings. Additionally, since the equinox is a day when we get the same amount of daylight and nighttime, this festival restores balance. Having said all that, let’s talk about how we can represent those concepts in physical forms and rituals.
During this time, Wiccans engage in various rituals and practices to connect with nature and celebrate the changing seasons. They may create altars adorned with symbols of fertility, such as flowers, eggs, and rabbits. These symbols represent new life, growth, and the cycle of nature. Additionally, Wiccans may participate in outdoor rituals and ceremonies to welcome the return of the sun and the longer, warmer days. These rituals often involve the lighting of bonfires, sacred dances, and the chanting of prayers or incantations. In addition to the rituals, Wiccans may also perform spells and divination during Easter. These practices are aimed at harnessing the energy of the season and manifesting positive changes in their lives. They may use crystals, herbs, or other magical tools to enhance their spells and rituals. Overall, Wiccan Easter, or Ostara, is a celebration of the natural cycles of life and the connection between humans and the earth. It offers an alternative perspective to the traditional Christian view of Easter and provides a way for Wiccans to honor nature and their spiritual beliefs..
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