Ostara - the original Easter Holy Day

Easter time each year is a perfect time to observe how the Christian religion has massaged and manipulated old time traditions into something they now claim and call their own.


In ancient times, there was a holy day and celebration called OSTARA. You may not have heard of it. However, a new wind of change is returning to the followers of the cycles of the Earth. Neo-pagan peoples still observe this special day of the year. Thousands more and more each year remember how it used to be.



Let's review:
If you recall in the dead of winter on the longest night of the year, we called it Yuletide or the Winter Solstice. This was the time when we celebrated the returning/birth of the "Sun" since Dec 21st is the longest night of the year. Every day after Yule(Christmas-time) gets more and more daylight...lighter and lighter...the Sunlight increases. The cycle of the Earth and Sun continues and we find ourselves arriving at the Vernal Equinox, the period of EQUAL NIGHT and DAY, on or about March 21st each year.


This year 2011, the Spring Equinox/Ostara occurs on March 20th @7:21pm EST. (http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/2011.html)



This time of year was the time when early Europeans would celebrate the "stirrings of spring". This was the time when the Earth would visibly wake up and become fertile once more. Seeds would open, the first flowers would appear and the true re-awakening of the Earth could be observed in everyday life. Thus, there were symbols of this fertility, Eggs and Rabbits and such, that would appear in those celebrations. Christians replaced the concept of the Earth re-awakening with a prophet/Jesus re-awakening from a tomb after being murdered.


The Christian Religion in its infancy had a difficult task of CONVERTING old time pagan practises into Christian faith and followers. The Pagan people loved their holy-days and could not function without their observance. Easter is a prime example.


The very date of Easter was specifically re-set very carefully by the Christian Church.


The "New" Easter was established as the FIRST SUNDAY that occured AFTER the FIRST FULL MOON AFTER the original Vernal Equinox (Ostara) holy day.


This would ensure that Christian "Easter" would NEVER occur on the old holy day called Ostara and therefore would never be celebrated on the Spring Equinox ever again; Christian "Easter" would NEVER occur on a FULL MOON, and Christian "Easter" would ALWAYS occur on a SUNDAY.... All of this maneuvering while still offering the "Pagans" an opportunity to celebrate "similar" "Ostara-like" celebrations during that time of the year.


Eggs remained, and the hidden goddess symbol of the rabbitt remained.

The "awakenening" of something sacred (Jesus/Earth) remained. But the whole point of the celebration was lost.


Due to the horrific Christian Crusades and massacres of the time cast by rulers to "reform" and "convert" non-believers or different-believers, It was just a matter of time before mass conversion to the new Christian beliefs was commonplace.


Now we have arrived at a special time in History when the truth can be told without consequences from a Church or Government. The people of the United States and those portions of the "Free" world now have a chance to review this history... and now have an opportunity to celebrate the true history and gifts of this time of year.