20 March 2020, 17:00 – 21 March 2020, 05:00
Spring Equinox, a Solar Festival celebrating the renewed life of the Earth that comes with the Spring.
At this time, the length of the day and the night are equal (this happens twice a year, at Spring and Autumn equinox).
The turn in the seasons was celebrated by the Celts with various festivities.
The festival is known as Ostara by some Pagans, after the Teutonic goddess Eostre or Ostra.
The word Easter also derives from this goddess’s name, the Christian celebration of the life of Jesus Christ.
Today, Pagans continue to celebrate the coming of Spring. They attribute the changes that are going on in the world to an increase in the powers of their God and Goddess (the personifications of the great force that is at work in the world). At the time of Spring Equinox the God and the Goddess are often portrayed as The Green Man and Mother Earth.
“The Green Man” is said to be born of Mother Earth in the depths of winter and to live through the rest of the year until he dies at Samhain.
To celebrate Spring Equinox some Pagans carry out particular rituals. For example…
a woman and a man are chosen to act out the roles of Spring God and Goddess, playing out courtship and symbolically planting seeds.
Egg races,
egg hunts,
egg eating and
egg painting
…are also traditional activities at this time of year.
NOTE - These type of activities were in existence long before they became associated with the Christian Easter.
DON’T Forget…
Daylight saving time 2020 here in the UK begins at 01:00 on Sunday 29th March
Komentarze