Welcome the Spring with a Vernal Equinox celebration. This year the spring equinox is on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 03:06 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). In the Northern Hemisphere, it will occur on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 8:06 PM PDT or 11:06 PM EDT.
The spring equinox, Ostara, or Alban Eilir, is also called the vernal equinox and has long been celebrated as a time of renewal, rebirth, and new beginnings. Ostara occurs halfway between the winter and summer solstice and is one of the four fire festivals or quarter days that fall within the solar wheel of the year in the Gaelic calendar. The vernal equinox, Ostara, is the second of three traditional Celtic spring celebrations, along with Imbolc and Beltane. It marks the moment when day and night are equal in length, and the sun crosses the celestial equator, moving northward, signaling the arrival of spring.
Many cultures around the world celebrate spring festivals and holidays like Easter and Passover around the time of the equinox. For example, Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the March equinox. These ancient earth-based pagan spring celebrations, rituals, and traditions influence the Easter Traditions that many people continue to celebrate today. First published in March 2015, this post about celebrating the spring equinox is regularly updated and republished to improve the content. Learn more about the vernal equinox and how to celebrate the beginning of spring with the fun facts and spring equinox celebration ideas below!
What is the Equinox?
The word equinox is derived from Latin. It means “equal night.” On the day that the sun passes over the equator, the length of day and night are said to be approximately equal. This means there will be approximately 12 daylight hours and 12 hours of darkness on the spring vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox.
The equinox is a time of balance between day and night, dark and light, death and rebirth, both within and without. At the exact moment of the equinox, the sun shines directly on the equator before continuing its journey north or south, depending on the time of year. In other words, the equinox is the point in time when the sun crosses the celestial equator during the progression of the seasons. It is an astronomical event that happens simultaneously across the globe but is converted into local time.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun passes over the equator and continues northwards after the spring equinox. On the autumnal equinox, the sun crosses over the equator and continues its southward declination. However, in the Southern hemisphere, the path of the sun is reversed. In other words, the sun moves south of the equator after the spring equinox and will continue its journey north after the autumnal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere as a result of this progression.
Related: Summer Solstice Celebration Ideas
What is the Spring Equinox?
The spring equinox marks the astronomical first day of spring in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, even though they occur six months apart. The progression of the seasons (shown in the graphics above and below) is a cycle that results from the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and its axial tilt relative to its orbital plane.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring equinox happens when the sun crosses the celestial equator and moves northwards from the equator at 23.5 South. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox is when the sun crosses the equator and descends towards its southernmost declination.
Thus, the spring equinox marks the moment when the sun crosses over the celestial equator and continues on its journey towards its northernmost ascent in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast, it moves south of the equator after the spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. The spring vernal equinox marks the first astronomical day of spring on the Gregorian calendar in both hemispheres. However, the first signs of spring are seen as early as Imbolc.
When is the Equinox?
There are two equinoxes and two solstices every year. One equinox occurs in September, while the other occurs in March. The season you welcome; fall or spring, depends on the side of the equator you live on. This means that the southern hemisphere celebrates the autumnal equinox on the same date and time that the northern hemisphere celebrates the spring equinox and vice versa.
When is the Spring Equinox?
The spring equinox is the March equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Or the September equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. This is because the spring vernal equinox typically falls between March 20-22 in the northern hemisphere and September 21-23 in the Southern hemisphere. On rare occasions, the equinox can happen just outside those date ranges to account for leap years.
For example, 2024 is a leap year, so the vernal equinox will occur on March 19 in the Northern Hemisphere. A leap year is when an extra day, February 29, is added to the calendar. A leap year is added to keep the seasons, or the solar year, in sync with the Gregorian calendar. Even though each equinox’s date and time change slightly each year, the spring vernal equinox and fall autumnal equinox will always happen at the exact moment worldwide. Scroll down to learn more!
What Day is the Spring Equinox in 2024?
The spring equinox will occur on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 03:06 UTC, Coordinated Universal Time (Source). The graphics for this post show March 21 as the date of the spring vernal equinox because often, it is on the 21st. However, in 2024 it happens on March 20 UTC. This means in the Northern Hemisphere, the spring equinox will occur on Tuesday, March 19, at 8:06 PM PDT and 11:06 PM EDT. I know it’s confusing that the equinox occurs on different dates and times when it happens across the globe at once, but that’s just one of the many paradoxes of time and space.
Spiritual Meaning of the Spring Equinox (Ostara)
The spring equinox represents the struggle between day and night, light and dark, and death and rebirth. So physically, metaphorically, and thus spiritually; It is a time of sowing seeds, planting new life, nourishing ourselves, and tending to the cycles of nature, in preparation for the gifts of summer and the abundance it can bring, within and without.
In other words, the cycles within each of us mirror the cycles that occur in nature on Earth and metaphorically represent the cycles occurring within all beings. Spiritually, the spring equinox is a time to tend to the cycles of life and death, dark and light, both inside out and outside of ourselves, as within, so without.
This makes Ostara a great time to pause and take a moment to connect with any new life beginning within you mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Practice nourishing the seeds of awareness by asking yourself if there is anything you can do or stop doing to cultivate this growth, bring your dreams to life, and be the bright shining star you were born to be.
“The spring equinox, Ostara, is a time of balance between day and night, dark and light, death and rebirth. The Earth awakens from her slumber and brings with her the gift of new beginnings. But only you can plant the seeds of awareness that nourish your dreams and bring them to life.”
Nell Regan Kartychok (Founder of Rhythms of Play)
What is Ostara?
Ostara is another name for the spring equinox. It is an ancient Pagan holiday celebrating the vernal equinox and the return of spring. Today, it is observed by individuals and communities worldwide who continue to honor these early earth-based traditions. This includes Neopagan religions, particularly those influenced by Wicca and other forms of contemporary witchcraft.
The holiday honors the Germanic goddess Eostre or Ostara. Like the vernal equinox, it is a time to celebrate increasing daylight, the earth’s fertility, and the Sun’s rebirth. Many people celebrate Ostara with rituals, feasts, and activities such as planting seeds, decorating eggs, and honoring the balance of light and dark.
Who is Eostre?
Eostre, also spelled Ostara, is a Germanic goddess of spring, fertility, and dawn. She is the goddess of spring and symbolizes renewal and nature’s awakening after winter. Her sacred animal is the hare, and this ancient Easter Hare is quite possibly the first Easter bunny. In ancient times, baskets filled with eggs were created as offerings to Eostre. These offerings were considered symbols of fertility and new beginnings.
Worship of the Goddess Eostre is tied to ancient earth-based springtime festivals. At these seasonal events, people celebrate the rebirth of nature and the lengthening of days after the darkness of winter in the early springtime. Many modern Pagans and Neopagans include the Goddess Eostre or Ostara in their religious practices, particularly during spring equinox celebrations.
What is Alban Eilir?
Alban Eilir is a term used in some modern Druidic and Neopagan traditions to refer to the spring equinox. It comes from the Welsh language, where “Alban” means “light of” or “light from,” and “Eilir” translates to “the earth.” Therefore, Alban Eilir can mean “the light of the earth” or “the light from the earth,” symbolizing the increasing sunlight and the earth’s awakening during spring.
Within Druidic and Neopagan practices, Alban Eilir is often celebrated as a time of balance between day and night, renewal of nature, and the emergence of life after winter’s dormancy. Rituals, ceremonies, and festivities during Alban Eilir typically focus on growth, fertility, and the rejuvenation of the natural world.
Spring Equinox Traditions
The spring equinox, also one of the solar sabbat festivals known as Ostara, has been celebrated as a time of fertility, rebirth, renewal, and new beginnings for thousands of years. Today, many spring solstice rituals and symbols once attributed to Ostara have found their home in modern-day Easter traditions.
The word Ostara originates from the name of the Goddess Eostre. In the past, pagans held a huge festival to honor Eostre on the same day Easter falls today; On the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls after the spring equinox. I know it’s a mouthful, but it is the date of “Easter” to this day!
Ostara Rituals, Eostre, Alban Eilir, and Easter Traditions
The spring equinox (Ostara, Alban Eilir) is a time for rituals and celebrations related to fertility, new beginnings, and rebirth. These celebrations are typically vibrant events that celebrate the spring and honor the resurgence of life in nature. Many ancient practices honor the Goddess Eostre in their celebrations. So, several spring festivals encompass practices inspired by her themes of renewal and rebirth.
Traditional Ostara rituals include decorating eggs (symbolizing new life) and planting seeds (to symbolize new beginnings, growth, and abundance). Eggs and bunnies represent fertility, while eggs and plant seedlings symbolize rebirth and renewal. Many modern Druids, Pagans, and Wiccans continue to observe the spring equinox with elaborate ceremonies that include many of these ancient spring symbols and practices.
While Ostara is distinct from Easter, some Easter traditions, such as egg hunts and rabbits, likely have roots in pre-Christian customs associated with Eostre and the spring equinox. Because Easter is celebrated on the same day that many pre-Christians celebrated Eostre, many scholars believe traditions once associated with Eostre and the spring equinox were included in Easter Traditions.
It’s also no coincidence that the word Easter is so similar to the word Eostre. In ancient times, people celebrated the earth’s rebirth in folk custom and belief as much as the resurrection of Christ. So, many of these early earth-based traditions were incorporated into the Easter Traditions people still enjoy and celebrate today.
Making Easter baskets, coloring or dying eggs, and including the Easter bunny are just a few traditions that allowed people to continue honoring the Eostre rituals the masses found most meaningful. Today, many of the customs once associated with early earth-based spring equinox celebrations are an integral part of Easter traditions that people continue to celebrate today.
Related: Winter Solstice Celebration Ideas
How to Celebrate the Spring Equinox: 17 Vernal Equinox Celebration Ideas
Below you will find sixteen traditional spring equinox celebration ideas. Some spring equinox traditions on the list are individual suggestions, while other spring equinox rituals and celebration ideas can be done with family and friends. So, feel free to create something meaningful for yourself, your family, or your friends. Or do nothing but enjoy the day. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere and welcome the fall, try these ways to celebrate the fall autumnal equinox!
1. Get Outside & Connect
Take some time to celebrate the new life beginning that surrounds you in nature. Watch the sunrise and or sunset, go for a walk in the park, take a bike ride, do some bird-watching, lay in the grass, or take a hike. Better yet, spend time in meditation in nature. As you do so, take a moment to observe the life beginning around you and get in touch with any new life stirring within you mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Ask yourself if there is anything you can do or if there is anything you can stop doing to nourish this growth and cultivate awareness.
It can also be fun to search for the first signs of spring. To learn more about the signs of spring’s arrival (and what to look for in the natural world), visit our post about the Signs of Spring. You might also enjoy this printable spring scavenger hunt. For more ways to get the entire family outside to learn and have fun, look at this list of ideas for fun outdoor activities –> HERE. For a bigger selection of outside activity ideas, look at this excellent list of outdoor learning ideas and educational nature activities.
2. Plant New Life
The spring is the best time of year to plant seeds. So, if you didn’t start digging in the earth after Imbolc, the vernal equinox is a great time of year to plant new life, literally and metaphorically. That makes it a great time of year to prepare the garden by tilling the soil, planting seeds, and committing to nurturing and caring for these plants as they grow.
Spend time in your yard or garden on the equinox. Plant fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spring flowers. Or plant a tree with the step-by-step instructions–>HERE. If you live where it is impossible to plant anything in the ground because of cold temperatures or snow cover, start some plants indoors and prepare your yard and garden for late spring plantings. Or, try any of the gardening ideas listed below!
3. Visit a Megalithic Monument
This may not be possible for many of us, but the idea of it sure is fun! Stonehenge is open to visitors on the winter and summer solstices and spring and autumn equinoxes.
But if you can’t make a trip to Stonehenge this year, plan to check it off your bucket list by visiting one of the solar festivals within the Wheel of the Year.
4. Prepare a Spring Feast
No spring celebration should be complete without a delicious meal with family and friends prepared with fresh and local seasonal spring foods. So spend some time shopping at your farmers’ market or favorite local produce stand to collect a selection of fresh spring foods to prepare for a spring feast!
For the equinox, we recommend celebrating with foods that honor the coming of spring, such as eggs, early spring greens, shoots and sprouts, seasonal local produce, bread, fresh local dairy products, and wine.
My favorite meal to prepare for the spring equinox is an egg brunch with colorful fresh fruits and vibrant leafy greens because they signify new beginnings and a fresh start, as each new day does. My family’s favorite main dish for our spring feast is the perfect meal for the occasion—called “Egg in a Nest!” You can find the recipe and instructions in YUM! I co-authored a cookbook (along with several other amazing mothers) full of our favorite healthy recipes for kids.
5. Host or Attend a Bonfire
A bonfire is a great way to celebrate the equinox. Tell spring stories passed down from generation to generation, dance, sing, beat drums, play music, and celebrate the spring. But please be safe and follow city or county laws and regulations if you make your spring celebrations into a true fire festival as people did in the days of old. And be sure to click the link to learn how to build a campfire and keep everyone safe. Because it never hurts to be prepared–especially if children will be in attendance.
6. Enjoy Spring Arts, Crafts, and STEAM Activities
Creating spring crafts is a great way to welcome the season and celebrate the beginning of spring. Make spring arts and crafts with traditional spring symbols to celebrate the equinox. Rabbit, bunny, egg, baby chick crafts, and the other spring craft ideas on the list below are a perfect choice:
- Bead Bunny Craft
- Pom-Pom Chicks
- Egg Craft Ideas (or scroll down to see the ideas in the next list item)
- Paper Roll Birdhouse Craft
- Felt Flower Craft
- Fingerprint Flower Magnet Crafts
- Baby Chick Craft Ideas
- Watercolor Surprise Easter Egg Art
This spring bucket list is full of even more spring crafts and activities you can try, including this round-up of flower art projects. Another fun spring craft you can make with the kids is a four-season Handprint and Fingerprint Tree like the one in the photograph below. Make a tree with all four seasons. Or make a handprint spring tree onto a single art canvas with the step-by-step tutorial.
7. Decorate Eggs
If you’re not ready to decorate Easter eggs on the solstice, decorate wooden Easter eggs. Then display your colorful creations around your home to welcome the arrival of spring.
Of course, decorated wooden eggs are also fun to put in Easter baskets and hide for egg hunts on Easter. Best of all, they are beautiful keepsake family heirlooms that can be reused year after year, instead of a bunch of rotten eggs. Check out these wooden egg crafts for lots of fun ideas!
Another fun egg decorating idea is creating watercolor surprise egg art. Draw an egg to paint, or grab our printable egg template to surprise the kids today!
Related: How to COLOR brown eggs
8. Open the Window and Bring Spring into your Home
Who doesn’t love the fresh smell and the beauty of spring wafting through the home? Open the windows to bring the fresh spring air into your home. Another great way to bring spring into the home is by picking or purchasing a bouquet of fragrant spring flowers to add to your home decor. Or, refresh and renew your home and body with essential oils. Use an essential oil diffuser to bring the fresh clean scent of spring into the home.
9. Make and Decorate a Spring Tree
A fun thing to do for the spring equinox is making and decorating a Spring Easter Egg Tree. Families around the world decorate these beautiful symbols at the rebirth of spring every year. When this tradition first began, it is said that a large outdoor tree or bush was selected to decorate with hollowed-out eggs.
Today, these Easter egg trees are made (and decorated) inside or outside of the home, community center, or place of worship with Easter eggs and many other types of Easter ornaments, spring symbols, and Easter tree decorations. You can see an example of an Easter egg tree my family made in the photograph below. Make one today!
10. Decorate the House with Spring Decor
Decorate your home with DIY spring home decor. There are several other spring arts and crafts you can make and decorate on the vernal equinox in addition to the spring egg tree above. You can also try the spring arts and crafts on our spring bucket list, like these felt flowers and bunny crafts, or create a spring nature table.
11. Create a Spring Alter for the Equinox
Another simple way to decorate the home with spring decor is to create a spring equinox altar, shelf, or table. I use our spring nature table for this purpose, but you can create an altar for the equinox any way you like. The photograph above shows one of our many spring tables.
12. Stand an Egg on its End
Legend says you can stand an egg on its end during the spring equinox. I have never tried this, and it may not work, but it sounds exciting. Besides, convincing your guests to attempt it while waiting for your spring solstice family feast can be fun. Go ahead, give it a try! What have you got to lose? I’ve even had at least one reader who claims to have done it in the comments below. Thanks for sharing your experience, Mel!
13. Meditate and Practice Yoga
Meditate upon new spring life and celebrate the change of seasons. On the equinox, day and night, dark and light are balanced. Meditate or practice yoga to create inner harmony, peace, and balance. Once you feel peace radiating from the center of your being, meditate on what you would like to seed in your life right now. Focus on any new beginnings you want to make and how to nourish and help these seeds grow and flourish. Also, consider the spring and summer months ahead and any current goals you are working toward.
If you have kids, this list of FREE kids’ yoga videos makes it easy for toddlers to teens to try yoga at home or in the classroom. You might even enjoy a few of them.
14. Read Books about Spring
Read spring books with your kids to help them understand the equinox and the cyclical nature of the seasons. For a short and sweet list of books about springtime, click over to look at these magical spring books for kids.
15. Clean and Restore Balance in the Home
Cleaning is a great way to restore balance in the home or workplace and prepare for new beginnings. Recruit everyone to help with a deep spring cleaning at home, or in the office or classroom. Get rid of clutter and anything that you no longer need along with anything that no longer serves you. Make space for your new creations in the next season of life. Click the link to learn how to make homemade natural cleaning products.
Related: 15 Ways to Raise a Helper
16. Begin Something New
Because the equinox is about new beginnings, it’s a great time of year to let go of the old and set intentions to begin fresh. Grab our QuickStart Planning Guide to help you get started! As the days begin to grow longer, the temperatures begin to warm, and people begin to spend more and more time outdoors, it’s a great time to set new goals and commit to starting something new:
- Make a list of everything you’ve been wanting to do.
- Pick your top three choices.
- Make a plan to start one and go from there. Learn how to make SMART goals and get the Dream Life Tool Kit to design an action plan to make it happen!
- Turn your goals into affirmations to make your dreams a reality.
17. Establish a Daily Routine or Rhythm
The spring is typically a time of renewal, regeneration, and rebirth. Establishing a new daily routine or rhythm can help you care for and educate children, ease transitions, and increase productivity. Following a daily rhythm creates more freedom to do what you love while providing a solid framework for ensuring your daily to-do’s get done. Children thrive when there is a solid rhythm established at home. Click the link to learn more about the power of rhythm and how to plan your daily routine.
Related: Easter Art Ideas Kids LOVE!
Fun Ways to Celebrate the Spring Vernal Equinox or Ostara
I hope you enjoyed learning more about the equinox and fun ways to celebrate the first day of spring on Ostara. There are several unique ways to celebrate the Spring Equinox. Use the Ostara celebration ideas above to usher spring into your life and home.
If you’re curious to learn more about the wheel of the year. The solar quarter-day festivals and lunar cross-quarter-day festivals are on the list below. Also, check out fun family Easter traditions to learn how spring equinox traditions have influenced modern Easter celebrations.
For more spring celebration ideas look at this list of spring activities with a printable spring bucket list. Click the link for several popular spring activity ideas, arts, and crafts!
To learn more about Rhythms of Play, click–> HERE!
What are the Solar Quarter Day and Lunar Cross-Quarter Day Festivals that fall Within the Wheel of the Year?
If you’re curious to learn more about the Wheel of the Year, each of the solar quarter-day festivals and lunar cross-quarter-day festivals are below:
- Winter Solstice (Yule)
- Imbolc (Candlemas)
- Spring Vernal Equinox (Ostara)
- May Eve or May Day (Beltane)
- Summer Solstice (Litha)
- Lughnasadh (Lammas)
- Fall Autumnal Equinox (Mabon)
- Samhain (Hallows)
Jeff says
You keep using the word solstice but it’s the equinox. The solstices are in June and December. Not the same thing as the equinox.
nell says
I’m aware of that Jeff, thank you. I’m not sure what article you are reading, but the article above states that we are celebrating the spring vernal equinox. I have read through it just to make sure I don’t have any typos and did not find any but there may be something I missed. Maybe you are confusing the links to my summer and winter solstice posts?
Tracy says
oh he might have meant this one. It happens to us all. We read something so much we cannot see anything after awhile. Great article either way. Thanks for the 411.
8. DECORATE EGGS
If you’re not ready to decorate your Easter eggs on the solstice. You can decorate some wooden Easter eggs for displaying around your home.
Nell Regan M.A. says
Thank you, Tracy! I knew it was something like that. I have fixed it to read “equinox.” Thank you for helping me find my typo.
Stayathome Science says
Festive ideas to celebrate one of nature’s original holidays! Great post.
nell says
Thank you! So glad you appreciated it 🙂
Kate Love Johnson says
I’ve somehow never heard that about balancing an egg before! Looking forward to trying it out with my teen later today.
This is my second year running a Renewals & Rebirthings series on my blog in honor of this season and what it can offer us. I’m so excited to see you mention this aspect of Spring as well.
Thanks for these great tips!
nell says
Thanks, Kate!
I’ve haven’t been able to make an egg balance equinox or not! Let me know if it works for you. Spring has been about renewals and rebirth since the beginning of time. Enjoy!
Mel says
The standing an egg on its end is not hogwash actually! My dad woke us up once when we were kids on either the Fall or Spring equinox around 5am and did this with us and it worked! We took a picture that my parents probably still have somewhere. It was really neat and I’ll never forget it.
Nell Regan M.A. says
Really Mel?! That is amazing to hear!
A lot of my readers want to call this false, but I’m glad that there is someone out there that has experienced it to be true. Maybe others will give it a try and find the success your father did when you were a child. Happy spring!
Nell
Jean H. says
I found you through Pinterest and I am so glad I did!! I have been a child care provider for decades and these days care for a smaller group including two of my schoolage grandchildren. Love your ideas and perspective on things! Thank you for taking the time to create this site!
Nell Regan M.A. says
Hello Jean! Thanks for the vote of approval and for taking the time to reach out. Your effort makes mine genuinely worth the while. I hope others enjoy the information they discover on Rhythms of Play (including learning about the spring equinox) and find it as helpful as you do. Thank you for inspiring young hearts and minds and educating children to change the world!