Vernal equinox
| February 2nd | Imbolc |
| March 20th | Vernal equinox / Ostara |
| May 1st | Beltane |
| June 21st | Summer solstice / Litha |
| August 1st | Lammas |
| September 22nd | Autumnal equinox / Mabon |
| October 31st | Samhain |
| December 21st | Winter solstice / Yule |
| The exact date each year can vary slightly. The dates are different in the southern hemisphere. | |
This holiday has been overlaid with Christian meanings (Easter). Easter commemorates the crucifixion of Christ, and his rise from the dead into heaven. The early Pagans had a holiday to mark the Spring Equinox, called Ostara, usually celebrated around March 21st. The God and the Goddess are married, and the Goddess conceives. Life is renewed, and it is a time of great fertility for land and creatures. It is sacred to the Celtic fertility goddess Eostre. With the return of spring, came the birthing of the farm animals for the year. Which is why bunnies, chicks, eggs and little lambs are symbols of this holiday.
Part of the Ostara mythology involved the return of various deities from the underworld (symbolic of the end of winter). So it's not surprising that this holiday got enmeshed with the Christian story of the resurrection of Christ.
Ostara represent new birth and new life. Night and day stand in perfect balance, with light on the increase. Plant the seeds of long-term goals. Correspondences: jasmine, daffodil, lotus, new spring flowers.
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