The ‘Spring’ or ‘Vernal Equinox’, which was once called ‘Ostara’, occurs on either 20th, 21st or 22nd March
when the sun enters ‘Aries’ according to the Earth’s orbit and the insertion of leap years.
The Spring Equinox marks the time when the sun crosses the celestial equator northwards or
the ‘half way point’ resulting in equal twelve hours of day and twelve hours of night.
At the equinox the sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west after
which the daylight hours grow increasingly longer until the sun reaches its
highest point in the sky at the ‘Summer Solstice’, which occurs in June.
The Oestra Hare in folklore and tradition
Have you ever wondered how the symbol of the rabbit became associated with the Easter Festival?
The origin of the Easter Bunny probably goes back to the festival’s connection with the pagan goddess Eostre.
Eostre (sometimes spelt Oestre) was a fertility goddess from whom we derive the word “oestrogen”
and she is closely associated with fertility symbols such as eggs.
The Hare is known as a highly fertile creature and hence an obvious choice for Easter symbolism.
In fact the use of the rabbit is probably a mistake – the Easter “bunny” Is Christian, It has always been a Hare among pagans
, since it is the hare that is usually considered the sacred creature of Eostre.
Pagan fertility festivals at the time of the Spring equinox were common.
It was believed that at this time, when day and night were of equal length,
male and female energies were also in balance.
The hare is often associated with moon goddesses; the egg and the hare together
represent the god and the goddess respectively.
The earliest known reference to our modern
Easter Bunny tradition appears to be from 16th century Germany. In the 18th century, German settlers
to America brought the tradition with them. The Bunny was known by them as Oschter Haws
(a corruption of the German Osterhase ) and brought gifts of chocolate, sweets and Easter Eggs
to good children.
Often children would make up nests for Oschter Haws, sometimes using their
Easter bonnets, and the Bunny would leave his treats there.