Ostara, Oestra, Eostre or indeed Easter. Call it what you want, it’s time for the vernal equinox, and the fun that follows! Ostara is actually a pagan festival and was joyfully awaited as it marks the end of the gloomy winter months and heralds the warmest days and lightest nights. It meant that the land would be abundant again, the calving season was in full swing, and the gloomy winter months were coming to an end. So what is the traditional way to celebrate Ostara? Here are 10 tips and facts!

1) The Goddess Ostara lends her name to this festival. Represents fertility, renewal and balance between day and night.

2) The children painted and carried eggs, a tradition we maintain: they were eaten (if cooked!) At the end of the day.

3) It was the hare, rather than the rabbit, that was represented as a symbol of fertility due to its prolific mating in spring.

4) Yellow and green are the traditional colors of Ostara. Daffodils perfectly display them and are used to decorate Wiccan altars or simply worn at festivals. Otherwise, the yellow and green candles are perfect.

5) Cooking and lively parties were a popular part of all pagan festivals and Ostara is no exception. As mentioned above, eggs were important ingredients, but so were herbs like thyme and mint.

6) This is also a time to plant seeds and begin a glorious growing season. Herbs are popular now that we are few farmers by profession! Since it is also raining quite a bit at this time, it really helps to accumulate the energies of the earth if you water your seeds with collected rainwater, especially if they are indoors.

7) Ostara is a lunar festival and the full moon brings powers of intuition, creativity and protection. Witchcraft or wiccan spells cast during this time will generally have to go through a full moon phase before being successful.

8) The symbolism of Ostara is renewal and regeneration. So emotionally it’s a time to put the past behind you and just focus on the road ahead. It is time to make plans and adopt a positive frame of mind. And if you really feel good about accepting the change, you can do a little spring cleaning too!

9) Walking is also very popular at this time of year. It brings with it an appreciation for changes in the landscape and provides the simple joy of being outdoors after winter’s confinement.

10) In the northern hemisphere, Ostara is celebrated from March 20 to 22 and it varies every year because it is a lunar festival. For those in the southern hemisphere, it is September 20-22.