Ostara & Eostre

Ostara was the Germanic goddess of the sun and fertility. Ostara was also associated with the coming of spring, and her festival was held on the spring equinox, which is March 21. For the Germanic people, spring was the time of fertility and rebirth. She was equated with the goddess Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess. Eostre was most likely just another name for Ostara. Eostre was the goddess of spring.

St Bede the Venerable wrote that the Christian Easter derived its name from Eostre, which was held on the same day of the festival of the German Ostara, but the date was later changed. Easter Sunday, the day of Christ's resurrection, varied between March 22 and April 25, depending on when the first Sunday of the full moon (the paschal moon), fell after the spring equinox. See also Norse Festivals.

The usual tradition of modern Easter, such as Easter eggs and the Easter bunny, also come from pagan customs. The rabbit was the sacred animal of Eostre, her symbol of fertility. The egg also symbolised fertility and rebirth of spring. The whiteness of the egg and the rabbit also indicated purity.