Ostara - The Vernal and Paschal (Written for The Small Tapestry Spring 2009)

More commonly known as the Spring Equinox, many Christians and Pagans are aware how closely related this sabbat is to Easter, and suspect the Christian holiday’s origins are actually from this pagan celebration.
The Venerable Bede, a monk and Doctor of the Church, once wrote about Ostara when talking about the old English month names - “Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated "Paschal month", and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance." [from De Temporum Ratione] Those of you with a Christian background will remember the phrase Paschal Full Moon, which refers to the first ecclesiastical full moon of the northern spring, used to determine the date of Easter (the Sunday following this full moon.)
So how do the Pagan’s figure out the date of Ostara? Ostara is also called the Vernal Equinnox. (From the Latin term Ver meaning Spring and Aequus meaning equal.) An equinox occurs twice a year- when the length of day and night are equal. In the Southern Hemisphere this occurs around the 21/22 September (This year it is on the 22nd.)
A lot of you will immediately think ‘But the northern hemisphere’s equinox (which would be Autumn over there) is no where near Easter!’ So how did two similar holiday’s end up on two completely different days? Actually, that’s just how it happened this year! According to the 1974 edition of Webster's New World Dictionary Easter is "…held on the first Sunday after the date of the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21[The Vernal Equinox]." The Christian’s take the equinox into account as well! Easter can fall anywhere from the equinox to mid April.
When you think Easter, most people will forget poor Jesus and immediately smack their lips at the thought of chocolate eggs and easter bunnies (although some will briefly remember Jesus before yumming down a Hot Cross bun if they notice the cross!) It is well known the fertility symbols obvious through easter, and it’s another way we can closely tie the two holidays. But apart from chocolate filled stomach aches, how to Pagans traditionally view Ostara?
It is a celebration of light and dark equality, the arrival of spring, when masculine and feminie energies are also equal and can, together, create new life and new beginnings. And what’s the excuse for Pagan’s eating chocolate? It’s an aphrodisiac! What better way to get in the mood for the approaching Beltaine? ;)