Ostara

Ostara is the name used in some modern Germanic Pagan and reconstructionist traditions for a spring festival and for a goddess figure associated with renewal and the vernal equinox. In this context the celebration is linked to the season of spring, the return of daylight, and the idea of growth after winter.

Historical background is limited. The best-known ancient reference to a spring-goddess named Eostre or Ostara comes from the 8th-century monk Bede, who notes a goddess named Eostre and a spring festival among the Anglo-Saxons. The primary ancient evidence for a widespread pre-Christian Ostara festival is scarce, and modern practitioners often interpret the name as part of a broader reconstruction of Germanic seasonal rites. The connection between Eostre and Ostara remains a topic of scholarly discussion, and the modern usage of the name Ostara frequently reflects contemporary neopagan or revivalist perspectives rather than a single ancient tradition.

Symbolism commonly associated with Ostara includes eggs and rabbits or hares, symbols of fertility and new life. Contemporary observances may involve decorating eggs, planting seeds, feasting, and rituals at the vernal equinox to honor balance between light and dark and the renewal of nature. In many neopagan communities, Ostara is celebrated as one of the seasonal sabbats, observed near the vernal equinox with an emphasis on harmony with the natural world and personal renewal. See also Easter, Spring equinox, Eostre, Germanic Paganism, Neopaganism.