13 Simple Ways To Celebrate Ostara, The Spring Equinox

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I’m so excited to share with you some of my favorite ways to celebrate Ostara, the Spring Equinox (also known as the Vernal Equinox).

The Vernal Equinox (first day of spring) will take place this year on March 20th, which to me signifies some very important things!

First and most important, we can spend more time outdoors! Even if it doesn’t seem like it where you are, we are on the countdown to warmer days.

This year in particular, that is something to be thankful for and to look forward to.

Celebrating the vernal equinox and the coming of spring is a way to connect with nature. It is a way to be mindful of the earth’s magic and to recognize that this day is a day of perfect balance when the sun can be seen directly above the earth’s equator. It is the time when light and dark are completely equal. This time signals a period of new beginnings, cleansing, rebirth and renewal.

These little traditions are in time with Earth’s natural rhythms and help me to be mindful of my place in our universe and to feel more connected to our natural world. Download this handy list of ideas to help you find meaningful ways to celebrate Ostara and the Spring Equinox.

To celebrate, I plan a springtime meal in honor of Ostara, the Goddess of Spring. One of the recipes I always make is Lavender and Lemon Shortbread which literally tastes like springtime baked into a cookie! I hope you’ll try it!

Depending on your region, it is possible you all are still feeling like popsicles amid freezing weather. It is still winter, and will stay cold for a while for many of us.

However, March is a green reminder that the sun’s rays will definitely reach down to you again as the earth tips gently (even if slowly) towards a new season! I am ready, are you?

I hope March finds you making a plan for celebrating the Vernal Equinox, spending more time in nature, and slowing down to enjoy the present moment.

13 Ways to Celebrate Ostara, the Spring Equinox

1. Get Outside & Connect With Nature

Getting outside to spend some time in nature is one of the best ways to celebrate Ostara and the spring equinox. Nature has been proven to improve your mental wellness and overall health, so there’s definitely no downside to getting outside to enjoy the sunshine. . Some activities to try, are hiking, biking, picnicing, taking a nature walk or a walk on the beach.

2. Plant New Life

The Vernal Equinox is a great time to start planting your flowers and vegetables, depending on where you live. Too early to start planting outdoors where you live? Start some windowsill herbs, or seedlings for your garden indoors and get a jump on the season. No green thumb? Buy a low-care houseplant and place it where you can enjoy it.

3. Visit a Site of Ancestral Importance

Old places connect us to our ancestors and our ancestors connect us to old places, giving us a sense of belonging and identity. Whether our ancestors came through Ellis Island, crossed the country via the Oregon Trail in search of a better life, lived here all along in wigwams, wetus and villages throughout America, or arrived on the Mayflower, the old places where our ancestors lived tell us about ourselves. Visiting these places can give us a sense of connection.

If you can, visit a megalith where people on Europes Atlantic fringe calculated the date of the Spring Equinox using circular monuments constructed of huge stones.

4. Prepare a Family Feast

One of my favorite ways to celebrate Ostara and the Vernal Equinox is to prepare a meal for my family. I prepare traditional Easter type food and spring favorites such as deviled eggs, quiche, hot crossed buns and lavender & lemon shortbread as mentioned above. I always burn sage prior, to cleanse our space and insist that everyone unplug while dining.

Related Content: An Ostara Celebration & A Day of Perfect Balance

5. Have a Bonfire

There’s something primitive about fire that can help us feel connected to the spirit of our ancestors. Sit around one during the spring equinox with family or friends.

6. Make a Nature Craft

I’m such a crafter that I jump at the chance to do anything creative. One of my other favorite ways to celebrate Ostara and the spring equinox is to make some spring time or nature crafts. Head on over to my Nature Crafts Pinterest board for some inspiration, or check out these articles:

7. Decorate Eggs

Another popular way to celebrate the equinox is to decorate eggs. Eggs are one of the popular symbols of Ostara which takes its name after the Germanic goddess, Eostre/Ostara, who was traditionally honored in the month of April with festivals to celebrate fertility, renewal and re-birth. Too early for Easter eggs? Purchase some wooden eggs that can used year after year.

8. Bring Spring Inside

Forsythia, pussy willows, or tulips blooming? Bring some inside to brighten up your space. Take a walk around your neighborhood or woods nearby and collect signs of spring to bring indoors.

9. Set Your Intentions

Since spring is a time of renewal, rebirth and new beginnings, the spring equinox is the perfect time to reflect on the past year and to sen new intentions with goals to reach for in the coming weeks and months. Practice some meditation or yoga and try to be more mindful and present in the moment.

10. Read About Spring

With the promise of warmer weather and the optimism that winter is finally ending, now is a great time to read some spring stories to your children if you have them, or pour over some gardening or nature books. I like to start planning my gardens as well as my nice-weather hiking trips.

11. Do Some Spring Cleaning

The spring equinox is a time for spring cleaning and cleansing. Spend some time physically + intentionally cleaning your space, especially those areas that have been neglected over the long winter months. Dust the shelves, sweep the floor, wipe down the surfaces. If possible, open a window and allow fresh air to flow in. Cleanse your space energetically with smoke cleansing or using a cleansing essential oil mist.

12. Start Something New

With spring symbolizing new beginnings, now is the time to take up something new. Always wanted to try photography, or some other hobby? Now is the time to make a committment to yourself to try something new. Take some time for yourself to explore something that you’ve always wanted to try…think about taking a class or starting a new hobby.

13. Establish a Routine For Daily Nature Connection

To me, this is one of the most fulfilling ways to celebrate Ostara. Start establishing a new routine for yourself that includes spending time in nature daily in some way. Commit to spending at least 15 minutes a day outside, or start a nature journal that you write your reflections or observations of nature in. The ways you commit can be as small or as grand as you’d like, but I promise you won’t regret the time spent, and your mental wellbeing will thank you.

As we embrace the rejuvenating spirit of Ostara and the Spring Equinox, I invite you to delve deeper into the enchanting world of seasonal celebrations and the Wheel of the Year. Discover more articles on our website that illuminate the beauty and wisdom of these time-honored traditions. Here are a few of our most popular:

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13 Simple Ways to Celebrate Ostara, the Spring Equinox