Welcome the Spring with a Vernal Equinox celebration. This year, the spring equinox is on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 14:46 UTC (Universal Time Coordinated). In the Northern Hemisphere, it will occur on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 4:46 AM EDT or 7:46 AM PDT.
The spring equinox, Ostara, or Alban Eilir, is also called the vernal equinox or March Equinox and has long been celebrated as a time of renewal, rebirth, and new beginnings. It is the moment when the sun’s rays shine directly down on Earth’s equator, halfway between the winter and summer solstices, and then crosses above it as it moves from south to north.
On the day of the equinox, night and day are approximately equal in length, and the amount of daylight and darkness is approximately the same. However, the Earth’s tilt on its axis causes the sun’s path to shift northward after the March Equinox. After the March equinox, the Earth’s axis will tilt toward the Northern Hemisphere, bringing spring, followed by summer.
The March Equinox
The March equinox brings more of the sun’s light, spring temperatures, and signs of spring blossoming to the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time, it brings less sunlight, cooler temperatures, colorful leaves, and signs of fall to the Southern Hemisphere.
Once the sun crosses the celestial equator at the March equinox, it continues to move northward each day, signaling the arrival of spring and longer days in the Northern Hemisphere until the June solstice. Conversely, the Southern Hemisphere welcomes autumn followed by winter, as the seasons on the opposite side of the equator are reversed.
First published in March 2015, this guide to celebrating the spring equinox is regularly updated to improve its content and to reflect the date and time of the spring vernal equinox each year. Learn more about the vernal equinox and how to celebrate the beginning of spring with the fun facts and spring equinox celebration ideas below! Ideas include ways to celebrate the spring equinox with kids.
Traditional Spring Celebrations:
The vernal equinox, Ostara, or Albin Eilir, is the second of three traditional Celtic spring celebrations that fall between the cross-quarter days of Imbolc and Beltane. It is one of the four sabbat festivals or quarter days that fall within the solar year on the Gaelic calendar within the “Wheel of the Year.” However, many other cultures around the world celebrate spring festivals and holidays such as Easter and Passover at 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 pre-Christian, earth-based pagan spring celebrations, rituals, and traditions continue to influence these Easter traditions, which many people still celebrate today. Learn more about these ancient spring equinox traditions and discover how to celebrate spring with this list of vernal equinox traditions, rituals, and celebration ideas. These spring celebration ideas follow the detailed explanation and frequently asked questions about the spring equinox below.
Related: Summer Solstice Celebration Ideas
What is the Equinox?
The equinox is when the sun passes over the imaginary line that goes around the circumference of the Earth, called the equator, and the length of day and night is approximately equal. At the exact moment of the equinox, the sun’s rays shine directly on the equator before continuing its journey toward the north or south poles, depending on the time of year. It is an astronomical event that occurs simultaneously worldwide but is displayed in local time.
In other words, the equinox is the point in time when the sun crosses the celestial equator during the progression of the seasons, and equal day and night hours are experienced. This means that the equinox will have equal hours of day and night. Thus, there are approximately 12 daylight hours and 12 hours of darkness on the spring vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox. Afterwards, the arc of the sun will shift a little more toward the north each day until it reaches its northernmost point on the December solstice.
This means that people around the world welcome spring or autumn on the March equinox, depending on which hemisphere of the Earth they live in, and the opposing season on the September equinox.
What is the Spring Equinox?
The spring equinox occurs in March and marks the astronomical first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The progression of the seasons (shown in the graphics above and below) is a cycle driven by Earth’s orbit around the Sun and its axial tilt relative to its orbital plane. The tilt of the Earth’s axis as it orbits the sun causes different parts of the planet to receive varying amounts of sunlight, leading to seasonal changes throughout the year.
After the sun crosses the equator on the spring equinox, it continues northward towards the North Pole, bringing more sunlight and longer, warmer days to the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast, as the sun crosses over the equator and continues its northern ascent on the March equinox, there will be less sunlight and cooler, shorter days in the Southern Hemisphere. Conversely, after the September equinox, the sun moves southward towards the South Pole, bringing seasonal changes characteristic of spring to the Southern Hemisphere and the first signs of autumn to the Northern Hemisphere.
What happens on the spring equinox?
The spring equinox occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator in March and moves northward from 23.5 degrees south, bringing its warmth to the Northern Hemisphere. In other words, the spring equinox marks the moment when the sun crosses over the celestial equator in March in a northerly direction.
The sun’s northerly direction after the March equinox causes seasonal changes characteristic of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, the March or spring vernal equinox marks the first astronomical day of spring on the Gregorian calendar in the Northern Hemisphere. After the spring equinox, the sun continues its northbound journey toward the North Pole until it reaches its northernmost ascent on the summer solstice.
At the same time, the sun’s crossing of the Earth’s equator at the March equinox triggers seasonal changes characteristic of fall in the Southern Hemisphere. On the September equinox, these seasonal changes are reversed. The sun moves south of the equator after the autumnal equinox. As the sun crosses the equator and descends towards its southernmost declination in September, it results in longer, warmer days south of the equator and cooler, shorter days north of it. In other words, the Northern and Southern Hemispheres oppose each other seasonally.
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, north or south. This means that the Southern Hemisphere welcomes autumn on the March equinox, at the same date and time as the Northern Hemisphere celebrates the spring equinox.
When is the Spring Equinox?
The spring vernal equinox typically falls between March 20 and 22. This is why it is also called the March equinox. On rare occasions, the equinox can occur just outside those date ranges due to leap years. This means that the spring equinox dates and times shift each year slightly so that the seasons align with the proper dates on the Gregorian Calendar. This is why the spring equinox does not always occur on March 21.
For example, 2024 was a leap year, so the vernal equinox occurred 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 due to the precession of the equinoxes. Even though each equinox’s date and time change each year slightly, the spring vernal equinox will always happen at the same exact moment worldwide. Scroll down to learn more!
What Day is the Spring Vernal Equinox in 2026?
The spring equinox will occur on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 14:46 UTC (Universal Time Coordinated; Source). The graphics for this post (see photo below) show March 21 as the date of the spring vernal equinox because it is often on the 21st. However, in 2026, it will happen on March 20, UTC. So, the vernal equinox will occur on Friday, March 20, at 7:46 AM PDT or 4:46 AM EDT in the Northern Hemisphere.
I know it’s confusing that the equinox occurs on different dates and times around the world “at once,” but that’s just one of the many paradoxes of time and space. As mentioned above, the spring equinox date and time shift each year slightly to account for leap years, so the seasons align with the proper dates on the Gregorian Calendar, which considers the March equinox the start of spring.
What does equinox mean?
The word “Equinox” has a rich history and meaning. It comes from the Latin words “aequus,” meaning “equal,” and “nox,” meaning “night.” Equinox beautifully encapsulates the essence of these celestial events, where day and night harmoniously share the stage with equal hours, ushering in a sense of balance and equilibrium that has fascinated humanity for centuries. It is a time of balance between day and night, dark and light, death and rebirth, both within and without.
Spiritual Meaning of the Spring Equinox (Ostara, Alban Eilir):
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 those in nature on Planet Earth and metaphorically represent the cycles of all beings. Spiritually, the spring vernal equinox is a time to tend to the cycles of life and death, dark and light, both inside and outside of ourselves, as within, so without.
This makes the Spring Vernal Equinox, Ostara, or Alban Eilir a great time to pause and 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, individuals and communities worldwide 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, also known as 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 spring goddess, symbolizing 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 offered 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 (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 known as the solar sabbat festival Ostara, has been celebrated for thousands of years as a time of fertility, rebirth, renewal, and new beginnings. Today, many spring solstice rituals and symbols once associated with Ostara have been incorporated into modern 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 as Easter today, “On the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring vernal equinox.” I know it’s a mouthful, but it remains 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 for participants, celebrating spring and honoring 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 as many pre-Christians celebrated Eostre, many scholars believe that traditions once associated with Eostre and the spring equinox were incorporated into many modern-day 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 customs and beliefs as much as the resurrection of Christ. Many of these early earth-based traditions were incorporated into the Easter traditions that people still enjoy today. For example, 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 customs once associated with early earth-based spring equinox celebrations are still observed as Easter traditions.
How to Celebrate the Spring Equinox:
Celebrating the Spring Equinox is a simple way to welcome the change of seasons and embrace renewal, growth, and balance when day and night are roughly equal in length. The vernal equinox celebration ideas below offer several simple spring equinox traditions celebrated worldwide to mark this auspicious time of year. It also includes a few modern activities you can do at home with kids and family or with your community. Use the fun spring activity ideas below to create a meaningful spring celebration party for yourself, your kids, relatives, friends, students, or your community. Or do nothing but enjoy the day to celebrate spring.
Related: Winter Solstice Celebration Ideas
20 Fun Vernal Equinox Celebration Ideas for Kids and Adults:
Below, you will find 20 traditional spring equinox celebration ideas, along with a few modern activities to celebrate the first day of spring. Some spring equinox traditions on the list are individual suggestions, while other spring equinox rituals and celebration ideas can be done with kids, family, friends, or as a community. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere and welcome the fall, try these ways to celebrate the fall autumnal equinox! Here are a few ideas to help you embrace change and renewal as you celebrate this day of balance between day and night, light and dark, death and rebirth:
1. Get Outside & Connect:
Take some time to celebrate the new life surrounding you in nature. Watch the sunrise and/or sunset, go for a walk in the park, take a bike ride, do some bird-watching, lie in the grass, or enjoy a hike in nature. 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. Cultivate a deeper awareness by asking yourself whether there is anything you can do or stop doing to nourish this growth.
For more ways to get the entire family outside to have fun on the vernal equinox, check out the ideas for fun outdoor activities you can do to connect with nature: HERE. If your spring celebration has children in attendance, including one of the seasonal ideas from the list at your spring equinox party, it can be fun for kids. You might also enjoy this excellent list of outdoor learning ideas, which offers a more extensive selection of nature-based activities for kids.
2. Search for the First Signs of Spring:
Here’s another fun outdoor spring equinox activity for kids and adults of all ages. Searching for the first signs of spring is an educational activity for young and old alike. Some of the first signs of spring can be seen as early as Imbolc or Candlemas, which occurs on February 2 north of the equator and August 1 south of the equator. But most signs of spring become seen, heard, felt, and smelled after the equinox.
Visit our post about the signs of spring’s arrival and what to look for in the natural world, including the spring blossoms shown in the photograph below. You might also enjoy this printable spring scavenger hunt for toddlers and preschoolers. It includes simple pictures that help pre-readers become more aware of the first signs of spring.
3. Plant New Life:
The spring is the best time of year to plant seeds. 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 on the equinox in your yard or garden—plant fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spring flowers. Or plant a tree for the vernal equinox, Arbor Day, or Earth Day with the step-by-step instructions: HERE. If you live where it is impossible to grow anything in the ground just yet due to 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:
4. Visit a Megalithic Monument:
Many of us may not be able to do this on the spring equinox, but the idea is fun! Many megalithic monuments, such as Stonehenge in England, are open to visitors during the winter and summer solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes. Other megalithic monuments that align with the equinox include the Longcrew Cairn T in Ireland and the Chichén Itzá pyramid in Mexico.
Visiting a megalithic monument on the March or September equinox offers a unique experience for those in attendance. Many of these ancient structures were deliberately aligned with the sun at key times of the year, such as the equinoxes and solstices. Since the equinox signified an important seasonal transition for prehistoric communities, they built monuments and structures to mark these changes. On this day, sunlight might pass through a monument’s entrance, align with standing stones, or cast precise shadows that appear briefly, depending on which site you visit.
Chichén Itzá pyramid in Mexico on the Equinox
For example, a “light snake” or “serpent of light” appears to run down the steps of the Chichén Itzá pyramid in Mexico on the March and September Equinoxes. The play of light and shadows that creates the light snake signaled the beginning of spring or fall, respectively, for the Mayan people. You can see this magical phenomenon in the photograph below!
If you can’t make a trip to any of these megalithic monuments for the equinox or other places that are also aligned with the equinoxes this year, plan to check it off your bucket list by visiting one that aligns with the equinox or solstice in some way to celebrate these solar festivals that fall within the Wheel of the Year.
5. Prepare a Spring Feast:
No spring celebration or equinox party should be complete without a delicious meal with family and friends, prepared with fresh, local, seasonal spring foods. 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, especially if you plan to have a party for the spring equinox. For the vernal equinox, I 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 or a non-alcoholic alternative for kids and non-drinkers.
My favorite meal to prepare for the spring equinox is an egg brunch with colorful fresh fruits and vibrant leafy greens, because each spring food symbolizes new beginnings and a fresh start, just as each new day does. My family’s favorite main dish for our spring feast is the perfect meal for the vernal equinox. It is called “Egg in a Nest!” You can find the recipe and simple step-by-step instructions in YUM! Yum is a cookbook I co-authored (along with several other amazing busy mothers), full of our favorite healthy recipes for kids and their caregivers. In other words, the recipes we can get our children to eat and enjoy ourselves.
6. 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 decide to have a fire at your spring celebrations. If you’d like to include this spring equinox activity at your party, learn how to build a campfire and keep everyone safe–> HERE. It’s best to be safe and prepared when fire is involved, especially if children will be in attendance.
7. Enjoy Spring Arts, Crafts, and STEAM Activities:
Creating spring crafts is a great way to welcome the season and celebrate its beginning. 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 offer a perfect choice!
Simple Spring Crafts for the Equinox:
- Bead Bunny Craft
- Pom-Pom Chicks
- Egg Craft Ideas (or scroll down to see the ideas in the following list item)
- Paper Roll Birdhouse Craft
- Felt Flower Craft
- Fingerprint Flower Magnet Crafts
- Baby Chick Craft Ideas
- Felt Flower Crown
- 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 create a handprint spring tree on a single art canvas with the step-by-step tutorial.
8. 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 spring. Of course, decorated wooden eggs are also fun to put in Easter baskets and hide for Easter egg hunts.
Best of all, wooden Easter eggs become beautiful keepsake family heirlooms that can be reused year after year, rather than a bunch of rotten eggs. Check out these wooden egg crafts for lots of fun ideas! Creating surprise watercolor egg art is another fun egg- decorating idea, perfect for a vernal or spring equinox party that includes children or the young at heart. Use the instructions to draw an egg to paint, or get access to the printable egg arts and crafts templates in the Rhythms of Play Learning Center to surprise the kids today!
Related: How to COLOR brown eggs
9. 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 let in the fresh spring air. Another great way to bring spring into the home is to pick or purchase a bouquet of fragrant spring flowers to add to your home decor. Another fantastic way to refresh and renew your home and body is with essential oils and an oil diffuser, bringing spring’s fresh, clean scent into your home.
10. Make and Decorate a Spring or Easter Tree:
A fun thing to do for the spring equinox is to make and decorate a Spring Easter Egg Tree. Families worldwide decorate these beautiful symbols at the rebirth of spring every year. When this tradition began, it is said that a large outdoor tree or bush was selected to be decorated with hollowed-out eggs. Today, these Easter egg trees are made (and decorated) inside or outside the home, community center, or place of worship, using Easter eggs and many other types of Easter ornaments, spring symbols, and Easter tree decorations. The photograph below shows an Easter egg tree my family made. Make one today!
11. Decorate with Spring Home Decor:
Decorate your home with DIY spring home decor. In addition to the spring egg tree above, there are several spring arts and crafts you can make or decorate on the vernal equinox. You can also try the spring arts and crafts included in these other fun spring crafts and activities, such as felt flowers and bunny crafts, or create a spring nature table.
12. Create an Ostara or Spring Altar 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 make an altar for the equinox any way you like. The photograph above shows one of our many spring tables.
13. 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!
14. Meditate or 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. Or do both of these energizing and balancing activities on the equinox. Once you feel peace radiating from the center of your being, meditate on what you want to seed in your life.
Focus on any new beginnings you want and how to nourish and help these seeds grow and flourish. Consider the spring and summer months ahead, as well as any intentions or current goals you have. If you have kids, this list of FREE kids’ yoga videos makes it easy for kids, from toddlers to teens, to try yoga at home or in the classroom. You might even enjoy a few of the yoga video lessons.
15. 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.
16. 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 deep spring cleaning at home, in the office, or in the classroom. Get rid of clutter, anything you no longer need, and anything that no longer serves you. Make space for your new creations in the next season of life. Consider making homemade natural cleaning products to help keep your home fresh and clean. If you have kids, get them involved with spring cleaning with the helpful tips in 15 Ways to Raise a Helper.
17. Start a Fairy Garden:
Here’s a fun spring equinox activity idea for kids of all ages. Even adults love growing fairy gardens indoors and outdoors. Several DIY fairy garden tutorials on “Rhythms of Play” make it easy to create a beautiful fairy garden, indoors or outdoors. Learn step-by-step instructions for making, developing, and caring for a fairy garden–>HERE.
You might also enjoy this tutorial, which shows how to make a tree-stump fairy garden with a hand-built stone planter. My brother created it in my late mother’s yard when she couldn’t figure out what to do with the eyesore that completely changed the landscape in a beautiful way. You can also use any of these creative beach fairy garden ideas to make your own indoor tabletop fairy garden.
18. Set Intentions for the Spring:
Because spring is a time of rebirth and renewal, the equinox is a great time to set new intentions or goals for the upcoming season. The spring equinox, Ostara, signals a time of balance between day and night, dark and light, death and rebirth. The Earth awakens from her slumber and offers the gift of new beginnings. But only you can plant the seeds that nourish your dreams and help bring them to life. Whether it’s personal growth or a specific project you are working towards, the changing seasons offer a fresh start for everyone. Even kids can set intentions for the spring!
19. Begin Something New:
Once again, because the equinox is about new beginnings, it’s a great time of year to let go of the old and set intentions for a fresh start. 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 a new goal and commit to starting something new:
- Look over the intentions and goals you set above.
- 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!
- Finally, turn your intentions and goals into affirmations to make your dreams a reality today!
20. Establish a Daily Routine or Rhythm:
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, accomplish daily tasks, and enjoy life more. Following a daily rhythm creates more freedom to do what you love while providing a solid framework for ensuring your daily to-dos get done. Children thrive when a solid rhythm is established at home. Grab the FREE QuickStart Weekly Planning Guide to get started today. Discover more about the power of rhythm and how to plan your daily routine–> HERE.
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.
To learn more about the wheel of the year, look at the solar quarter-day festivals and lunar cross-quarter-day festivals in the following section. 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 for kids and adults. It includes a printable spring bucket list that makes it easy to find fun things to do at a glance, along with several popular spring activity ideas, arts, and crafts!
Learn more about Nell Regan Kartychok, author of this informative guide to the spring equinox HERE, and Rhythms of Play 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 is listed 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)
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.
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?
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.
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.
Festive ideas to celebrate one of nature’s original holidays! Great post.
Thank you! So glad you appreciated it 🙂
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!
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!
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.
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
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!
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!