The Ostara Festival

Despite popular neo-pagan attempts to attribute this Celto-Germanic festival to an alleged Spring or dawn goddess, the name Ostara relates more to what was once called the "Ostermonat" in Old High German. However, the idea of months in those ancestral times were lunar, and the festival itself was usually celebrated on the full moon (or Quorn Planting Moon) following the Vernal Equinox, namely when the Sun rose exactly in the East. Thus, as far as etymology is concerned, "Ost" means "East", and "Monat" : month. German specialists in anthropology and archeoforensics have worked meticulously to establish the nature and origins of these festivals and if they were attributed to any particular deities.

This is a complicated task, given that Celto-Germanic pantheons were not only tribally secular, but very much influenced by the geographical nature of their location. In the case of Ostara, any relevence of the title itself to a deity of similar namesake could not be found. What was found in numerous places was matrons of sacred springs and other waters usually honoured that the water be blessed, and in turn, used to bless the naming of newborns. This is not to be confused with Christian baptisms, as the evidence well predates even the arrival of the Romans. Rather, the wights or matron of whatever sacred spring or river's namesake were honored with the offering of garlands. Wells were decorated with these garlands, usually topped off with a crown as seen in my photo. Also, note the wooden plaque with "Wasser ist Leben" (Water is Life).

Naturally, the eggs served part of that offering as a suitable symbol of rebirth. People far removed from the homelands of these traditions tend to wonder what bunnies could possibly have to do with all this. Well, the answer is really quite simple if you think back to how people lived without all the modern conveniences we have today. Of all the animals our ancestors hunted or trapped for food, rabbits are the first to have their young after the winter, thus the first available fresh meat. Indeed, young rabbit is traditionally eaten in SW Germany on this occasion as part of the "Osterfest".