Article Info

published: 2/9/07
update: 2/11/14

Ostara (Spring Equinox)

Ostara goddess
Depiction of the goddess Eostre/Ostara.

Ostara altar
A Wiccan Ostara altar.
Photo: RaeVynn Sands.

Ostara bread
Goddess bread on Ostara.
Photo: RaeVynn Sands.

What is Ostara?

Ostara is a Neopagan festival celebrated on the spring equinox, which is between March 19 and March 22 in the Northern Hemisphere. On the spring and fall equinoxes, day and night are of equal lengths. Ostara celebrates the coming of spring, new growth and fertility.

History and Etymology


Eostre has since evolved into "Easter" in English and "Ostern" in German. The word "Ostara" comes from the German mythologist Jacob Grimm (d. 1863), who said this was the Old High German name for the Easter festival. (All other languages use a variant of "Pascha," a Greek adoption of the Hebrew for Passover, for the Christian holiday.)

The Germanic words Eostre and Ostara probably come from the same root as "East," the direction of the rising sun. They are not etymologically related to the word estrogen, which comes from the Greek oistros, meaning "frenzy."

The Neopagan holiday of Ostara is also known as Lady Day, Egg Day, or Alban Eiler (Druidic).







  1. Spring Equinox - BBC Religion & Ethics
  2. Estrogen and Estrus - Online Etymology Dictionary
  3. You Call it Easter, We Call it Ostara - The Witches' Voice
  4. Ostara - Wicca.com
  5. Ostara - Wikipedia