Ostara is celebrated on the Vernal (Spring) Equinox, which, although it varies from year to year, usually falls between March 20-23 (this year, 2004, it falls on the 20th.) It is on this day that te earth has progreesed far enough in its revolution around the sun that day and night are equal. In the symbolic sense, this makes the God (Sun, day,) and Goddess (Moon, night) equal on this day. The Sun God is old enough now that his warm rays begin to strengthen the Earth Mother and the manifestations -- warmer, longer days, spring flowers and that "spring-like" energy -- are seen in the Earth Mother.

On Ostara, Pagans celebrate the equality of the days and nights, the sacredness of life and the Life Force, and acknowledge the evident "newness" of the Earth and Her creatures. At Spring, the earth is blooming. We also celebrate virility and do fertility rites to ensure good luck and happiness in the coming year.

The Egg, a symbolic of the Cosmic Egg of Life, is a symbol often seen around duing this time. We use the Egg, a very feminine symbol, to also represent the fertility of the Earth Mother. Another important symbol of Ostara is the rabbit, also a symbol of fertility and fortune.

Ostara is named after the Norse Goddess of the same name. Later, when the Christian movement came about, the Christians adapted the Pagan holiday to suit their purposes, and re-named it Easter, and kept several Pagan traditions, such as the egg and rabbit symbolism.