A pagan funeral ritual is a deeply spiritual and unique ceremony that honors and celebrates the life of the deceased. Just as the rituals and beliefs vary among different pagan traditions, so do the attire and dress code for these ceremonies. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of what to wear to a pagan funeral ritual, there are some general guidelines that can help individuals navigate this sensitive and respectful occasion. **Respect the Tradition** When attending a pagan funeral ritual, it is essential to respect the customs and traditions of the specific pagan tradition being practiced. The dress code may vary greatly depending on whether the ceremony follows a Celtic, Norse, Wiccan, or another pagan tradition. Therefore, it is crucial to familiarize oneself with the specific practices and customs of the pagan tradition being observed, as these will often inform the appropriate attire for the occasion.
Glenys Livingstone of PaGaian Cosmology recommends discovering the balance of light and dark in your own breath:
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Vernal Equinox is celebrated by Neo-Pagans as Ostara also spelled Eostar or Eostre , deriving from the name of a Germanic goddess to whom the month of the same name was holy. 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.
Therefore, it is crucial to familiarize oneself with the specific practices and customs of the pagan tradition being observed, as these will often inform the appropriate attire for the occasion. **Symbolic Colors and Accessories** Colors play a significant role in many pagan traditions, and they may have specific meanings associated with them. For example, black is commonly associated with mourning and loss, while white is often symbolic of purity and rebirth.
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.
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.
In some traditions, wearing specific colors or avoiding certain colors may be customary. Similarly, certain types of accessories, such as pentagrams, are considered sacred symbols in many pagan traditions. Therefore, individuals may choose to wear or avoid these symbols based on their beliefs and the wishes of the deceased or their family. **Respectful and Modest Attire** While the specific dress code may differ among different pagan traditions, it is generally recommended to wear modest and respectful attire to a funeral ritual. This typically means avoiding flashy or revealing clothing and opting for more formal or traditional garments. In some pagan traditions, white robes may be customary, while in others, individuals may simply be asked to wear something clean and respectful. Ultimately, the key is to dress in a way that honors the deceased and reflects the tone and purpose of the ritual. **Comfort and Practicality** In addition to respecting the tradition and wearing appropriate attire, it is also important to consider comfort and practicality when choosing what to wear to a pagan funeral ritual. These ceremonies often involve various rituals and may require individuals to sit or stand for extended periods. Therefore, selecting comfortable shoes and clothing that allow for ease of movement is highly recommended. Additionally, some rituals may take place outdoors or involve physical activities, so it may be necessary to dress appropriately for the weather or the specific requirements of the ceremony. **Open-Mindedness and Sensitivity** Attending a pagan funeral ritual is an opportunity to experience a deeply spiritual and meaningful ceremony. It is important to approach this occasion with an open mind, respect for the beliefs and practices of others, and a sensitivity to the emotions and needs of the deceased's family and friends. By dressing in a manner that respects the traditions and customs of the occasion, individuals can contribute to the overall tone and atmosphere of the ritual while paying tribute to the life of the departed. In conclusion, the question of what to wear to a pagan funeral ritual does not have a one-size-fits-all answer. The dress code will vary depending on the specific pagan tradition being observed. It is crucial to respect the customs and practices of the occasion, be aware of any symbolic colors or accessories associated with the tradition, dress in a modest and respectful manner, prioritize comfort and practicality, and approach the occasion with an open mind and sensitivity to the feelings of others..
Reviews for "Dressing for Harvest: Fall-inspired Outfits for Pagan Funeral Rituals"
1. John - 2 stars - The book "What to Don for a Pagan Funeral Ritual" left me disappointed. I was hoping for a comprehensive guide on pagan funeral rituals, but instead, I found it to be overly simplistic and lacking in depth. The author barely scratched the surface of the topic, providing only basic information that was readily available online. I would have appreciated more practical advice and detailed explanations of the different elements involved in a pagan funeral. Overall, I don't feel like this book added much value or insight to my understanding of pagan funeral rituals.
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4. Sophia - 2 stars - "What to Don for a Pagan Funeral Ritual" failed to meet my expectations. The book offers little more than a superficial overview of pagan funeral practices, without delving into the deeper spiritual and cultural significance behind them. I was hoping for a more in-depth exploration of the rituals and traditions involved, but this book fails to deliver. Additionally, the writing style is dry and uninspiring, making it difficult to engage with the content. Overall, I was left feeling let down by this book and would not recommend it to those genuinely interested in understanding and honoring pagan funeral rituals.