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Guide
Ostara: History, Traditions and Ways to Celebrate
Ostara falls on the spring equinox, around 20 March. Day and night in balance as spring arrives. This guide covers where Ostara comes from, its folklore, simple ways to celebrate at home or outdoors in the UK, and what to put on your altar.
History and meaning
Day and night in balance as spring arrives. The modern name follows Bede's mention of a goddess Eostre, though how far back her worship went is debated. Eggs and hares are old spring symbols. As with every sabbat, modern practice blends genuine old custom with 20th-century revival, and both are part of a living tradition.
Customs in Britain and Ireland
Customs around Ostara vary by region, family and path. Look for local fairs, church festivals and folk customs near you; our town guides list heritage sites and seasonal events across the UK. Many old customs were practical, marking the farming year, the movement of animals or the turn of the light, and their meanings grew around that work.
Ways to celebrate
At home
Decorate eggs, sow seeds, take a dawn walk and note what is blooming.
Outdoors
Walk somewhere that shows the season, such as a hill at sunrise, a wood or a stone circle. Leave nothing behind but footprints.
With others
Share food, tell stories or join an open celebration. Many Druid and pagan groups hold public rites.
Journaling
Write what this season means to you, what you want to release and what you hope to grow before Beltane.
Altar ideas and colours
Traditional altar items include green and yellow candles, rose quartz, green aventurine, floral incense. Add what you find outside: leaves, flowers, seeds or stones. Keep candles on a heat-proof plate, away from anything that could catch, and never leave them alone.
Folklore
The hare was long thought magical in British folklore, said to be the shape a witch took. Bede's Eostre gives Easter its English name, and spring equinox sunrises are watched at many stone circles.
Food and drink
Eggs in every form, hot cross buns, simnel cake and spring greens such as nettle soup. Egg rolling down hills is an old northern English Easter custom.
Nature at this time
Daffodils, primroses, frogspawn and hares boxing in the fields. Chiffchaffs, early migrant birds, return and sing their two-note song.
The sky at Ostara
On 20 March 2027: In London the sun rises at about 06:06 and sets at about 18:12. In Cardiff the sun rises at about 06:18 and sets at about 18:24. In Edinburgh the sun rises at about 06:18 and sets at about 18:24. In Belfast the sun rises at about 06:29 and sets at about 18:35. The nearest full moon is on 22 March 2027. Times are calculated and approximate, in UK clock time.
Reflection prompts
Looking back
What has this last season given you, and what are you ready to let go?
Looking forward
What would you like to have grown by Beltane?
Gratitude
Name three things from the natural world you noticed this week.
Where it sits on the Wheel
Ostara comes after Imbolc and before Beltane. The Wheel of the Year guide covers all eight festivals. UK delivery is £3.95, free on orders over £40, and usually takes 2–5 working days.
Ostara dates for 2026, 2027 and 2028
Solstice and equinox times are calculated with astronomy-engine for UK clock time. The cross-quarter festivals are kept on their fixed calendar dates by most people, though some prefer the astronomical midpoint, a few days later.
| Year | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday 20 March 2026 | Exact moment 14:45 GMT (calculated) |
| 2027 | Saturday 20 March 2027 | Exact moment 20:24 GMT (calculated) |
| 2028 | Monday 20 March 2028 | Exact moment 02:17 GMT (calculated) |
Ostara on a budget
Eggs, seeds and spring flowers cost very little and say everything about the season. Decorate hard-boiled eggs with natural dyes such as onion skins, red cabbage or turmeric, and plant a few seeds to mark the equinox.
Ideas for families
- Hold an egg hunt in the garden or local park.
- Balance on the equinox: day and night are almost equal, so time sunrise and sunset and compare.
- Look for frogspawn, primroses and the first bees.
- Start a sunflower race and measure the plants each week.
After Ostara
The light half of the year has begun. Move your altar items towards fresh greens and yellows and plan outdoor plans for Beltane.
Sunrise and sunset across the UK on the spring equinox, 20 March 2027
Calculated with astronomy-engine for each city, in UK clock time. Day length grows the further north you go in summer and shrinks in winter.
| City | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 06:01 | 18:14 | 12h 13m |
| Cardiff | 06:13 | 18:27 | 12h 13m |
| Birmingham | 06:08 | 18:22 | 12h 13m |
| Manchester | 06:09 | 18:23 | 12h 14m |
| Belfast | 06:24 | 18:38 | 12h 14m |
| Edinburgh | 06:13 | 18:27 | 12h 15m |
| Inverness | 06:16 | 18:32 | 12h 16m |
The moon on the day
- Spring equinox 2027: waxing gibbous, 97% lit.
- Spring equinox 2028: waning crescent, 30% lit.
Crystals, herbs and colours for Ostara
- Aquamarine: pale sea-blue to blue-green
- Rose quartz: love, kindness and self-care, the 'love stone'
- Moss agate: gardens, growth and abundance, the 'gardener's stone'
- Green aventurine: luck and opportunity, the 'gambler's stone'
- Amazonite: calm communication and speaking your truth
- Herbs and scents: jasmine, rose and fresh spring flowers.
- Colours: pastel green, yellow, pink and lilac.
Seasonal pieces from the shop
Real pieces in stock today, with current prices. Each product page lists size, materials and what is included.
- Celestial Energy Atlas Oracle Cards - Spiritual Deck: £3.20.
- Manifest Magic Candles (pack of 12) - Violet - Crown Chakra: £1.72.
- Manifest Magic Candles (pack of 12) - Indigo - Third Eye Chakra: £1.72.
- Esoteric Fringed Altar Cloth - Moon & Sun Chart: £4.00.
- Hop Hare Crystal Magic Flower Candle - The Moon: £11.96.
- Ancient Witch Ritual Water - Fountain of Youth: £6.40.
- Magic Spell Candle - Protection: £11.20.
- Magic Spell Candle - Prosperity: £11.20.
Words worth knowing
- Wheel of the Year: the modern pagan cycle of eight seasonal festivals, popularised in Britain in the 1950s and 60s.
- Sabbat: one of those eight festivals.
- Quarter day: a solstice or equinox, fixed by the sun.
- Cross-quarter day: a festival roughly halfway between a solstice and an equinox: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.
- Esbat: a full moon gathering or ritual, as opposed to a sabbat.
- Altar: a surface set aside for seasonal and ritual objects.
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Questions answered
When is Ostara?
The spring equinox, around 20 March.
How is Ostara celebrated?
Decorate eggs, sow seeds, take a dawn walk and note what is blooming.
What colours are used for Ostara?
Common choices include green and yellow candles.
Do I need special tools for Ostara?
No. A candle, something seasonal and a quiet moment are enough.
When should I order for Ostara?
Allow about five working days before the date. UK delivery is £3.95, free on orders over £40, and usually takes 2–5 working days.
Is Ostara a pagan festival?
Ostara is one of the eight festivals of the modern pagan Wheel of the Year, marking balance and new growth. Some of its customs are old folk traditions in Britain and Ireland; the name and the eight-festival cycle in its current form date from the 20th century.
How can I celebrate Ostara on my own?
Light a candle, go for a walk to notice the season, cook something seasonal and write a few lines about what Ostara means to you this year. Solitary celebration is completely normal in modern paganism.
What food is eaten at Ostara?
Traditional and seasonal choices include eggs, honey cakes, spring greens and hot cross buns.
Can children join in with Ostara?
Yes. Crafts, seasonal walks, baking and decorating are all easy ways to include children. Keep candles and fires supervised.
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