24 Ways to Celebrate the Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox is upon us, and it’s time to grab ahold of that transitional energy and celebrate! Below you will find 24 ideas to celebrate the vernal Equinox!

What is the Spring Equinox?

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Spring Equinox occurs early AM when the sun crosses the equator line which marks the beginning of Spring! The Spring Equinox is also called the Vernal Equinox!

Who can Celebrate?

Everyone! Spring Equinox is not a religious or political thing. If you live on planet Earth, you can and should celebrate the Spring Equinox. This planet is beautiful and magical and inspiring and deserves all of the respect and appreciation you can muster. Some cultures have celebrations on the Spring Equinox for their New Year

Now that being said, there are religious opportunities for celebration. Most well known is of course Easter, this isn’t a ‘Spring Equinox’ celebration at all, nor does it occur at the same time, BUT there are tie in’s I will talk about momentarily.

I’m of course talking about Ostara, the celebration of the Germanic Goddess of Spring and dawn. She also goes by Eostre (ahem, which is where the word ‘Easter’ comes from).

Ostern is the pagan festival celebrating the new season and occurs on the Spring Equinox. Ostara’s symbol is that of a rabbit, and a certain defining story of a bird causing mischief and was turned into a rabbit and once a year lays colored eggs. These colored eggs began a tradition of decorating, hiding, and seeking on the day of the festival. It also included yummy sweets, planting seeds, and decorations featuring soft pastels inspired by the spring flowers.

Like many traditions, Christians adopted the festivities from the Pagan’s in a semi passive-aggressive way to get Pagan’s to convert to Christianity (in a hey look, we do this too – let’s do it together…kind of way). Regardless, if you are a Christian, these traditions have long since been absorbed into the modern Easter we all know today, so you can consider your Easter celebrations to also include a warm welcome to the Spring Equinox! Also, one last tie in – the Spring Equinox directly affects when Easter occurs each year!

Why Should We Celebrate the Equinox?

In short, the Spring Equinox is a time of transition, new beginnings, renewal, and of course fertility. As a transition season, the Spring Equinox represents a balance between both light and dark, life and death. Overall it’s all about balance, newness, and growth.

Once upon a time, it was considered the beginning of the new year, and one-way people celebrated was by cleaning out their homes – getting rid of the old, making way for new things, to start the year with a fresh spirit of renewal (aka spring cleaning).

The balance comes from the fact that the Equinox is marked by the equality of hours in the night and day and represents the need to find balance in your life. Finally, growth of course is represented by the spring garden, flowers popping up everywhere, and animals making babies.

Really the question should be, why wouldn’t we celebrate this time of year?!

How to Celebrate the Spring Equinox?

I’m glad you asked. There are so many ways to celebrate the Spring Equinox no matter what your religious (or not) affiliation is. Starting your own tradition is the best way to do it! No reason to try everything, stick to what feels good for your soul and makes you happy. Try a combination of the rituals below the upcoming spring Equinox, a different combination next Spring Equinox, and so on until you find a tradition that fits with you, your needs and desires, and your lifestyle.

The important thing is to enjoy the process. A tradition should be fun, enlightening, and empowering, not another chore on your to-do list. Don’t be afraid to play around while you celebrate the Spring Equinox, it’s not about doing it “right” it’s truly about celebrating yourself. So here are some fun ideas to get you started:

24 Ideas to Celebrate the Spring Equinox?

1. Set Goals: The energy surrounding the Spring Equinox is palpable, use this energy to find your new, fresh goals and set yourself up for success. Don’t forget to clear the cobwebs off old goals that lost their flame or didn’t pan out, and sweep them right out the door!
2. Spring Clean: Duh! Literally, clean out the cobwebs in your home, and literally sweep the dust right out the door! It’s time to clean up, organize, declutter, refresh the home and get ready for all this transition energy that’s about to burst through you and light up your life!
3. Digital Declutter: You thought you were done cleaning? I know, cleaning isn’t the most exciting ritual to undertake, but it’s amazing how mentally taxing chaos is. Email feels easier to hide, it’s not right in front of you like home clutter is, but it weighs on you, and trust me, you’re always thinking about it. So do it! Start deleting, filing, whatever you need to do to get rid of digital clutter!
4. Plant Seeds (or Bulbs): Hello Spring! Whether you have an acre garden or an herb in a mason jar in your kitchen window, it’s time to plant something. Give back to this beautiful Earth! Plant some veggies, a colorful flower garden, or a new tree!
5. Decorate Eggs: Of course, eggs are a massive part of the Spring Equinox festivities! Whether you go full crafty with materials from your local craft store or stick to traditional actual eggs, there is so much you can do to get into the spirit (no religious affiliation required!).
6. Nature Hike: Nature is in full bloom, ready for you to appreciate, and what better way to take it all in than go on a nature hike? Not much of a hiker? Head to your local park and just wander. Note the fresh air, the vibrant colors on the blooms, and all the signs of Spring that nature is providing!
7. Meditate: You know that I will of course mention meditation every chance I get! This is a wonderful time to take your practice outside, sit on the grass, and truly feel it against your legs. Notice the sun beaming down on your face as you lose yourself to the birds chirping and the warm wind.
8. Outside Yoga: Speaking of bringing practices outside, take your yoga outside as well. Springtime yoga is by far my favorite of the year! Admittedly I upgrade my mat to an aerobics mat because the ground isn’t quite as soft as my inside rug, but still. If you haven’t done yoga outside – get on that!
9. Tea Time: Outdoor tea party in the garden anyone? A lovely nod to pagan roots, tea time in the garden is a beautiful (and tasty) way to celebrate the new season!
10. Egg Hunt: Of course where would we be if we didn’t suggest an egg hunt after you decorated all those beautiful eggs! Whether you have kids or not, egg hunts are a fun way to get in touch with nature, and be silly with your friends or family!
11. Decorate your Ostara Altar: Whether you have an altar in your home, or simply decorate for Spring, I’ve got all of the Spring symbolism and goodies you need to decorate for this wonderful time of year!
12. Cook: Recipes full of garden-fresh veggies, eggs, or notes of floral are perfect for celebrating the Spring Equinox! Try these Vegan Hot Cross Buns, Lemon Lavender Bread, or Lavender Ice Cream Sandwiches!
13. Flower Magic: The power of utilizing flowers to perform magic, this is peak flower magic season and the perfect time to use the metaphysical meanings of each flower to create spells and intentions for the upcoming season.
14. Divination Reading: New seasons are a great time for divination readings because of the intent of the change. A transition season is even more important for digging deep, to make a real change in the upcoming season. My tarot readings for Fresh Start, and Disrupting the Cycle are perfect for transition periods!
15. Spring Bucketlist: A Spring bucket list is a fun way to create a checklist of activities for the whole family (or just you!). Check out this fun activity list already made for you, or use this list to create your own!
16. Journaling: Using Spring journal prompts is a great way to learn about yourself, and have something tangible to reflect on at the end of the season.
17. Melt Snow: This symbolic ritual acts as a manifestation for attracting snow to melt in your area. If it is still snowing where you live, simply bring a bowl of snow into your home and place it somewhere out of reach but in-sight. Visualize the snow melting and warmer days appearing. When it is all melted, water a plant or seed with it!
18. Fresh Florals: Fill your home with the scent of fresh florals, or give some to your friends and family! Even better, pick some in your backyard and make a flower crown!
19. Give Seedbombs: Create seed bombs and gift them to friends, family, and neighbors – even strangers on the street! In some areas, guerrilla gardening is legal, so find out and spread some love!
20. Bird Feeders: Put out food for all the new bird families in your neighborhood, fill up feeders, or even make bird seed ornaments to hang in your trees! A wonderful craft to celebrate on the Spring Equinox!
21. Ostara Blessing: Best performed at dusk or dawn, Ostara Blessings are a dime a dozen, take a quick google search to find your favorite. Generally, they include clearing your space of negative energy, meditation, setting an intention, and opening your heart to the gift of wisdom.
22. Bird Watch: The birds are chirping, little babies are emerging in the nests around your home. Sit under a tree to simply listen to the beautiful sounds of nature, or grab some binoculars to watch from afar.
23. Have a Picnic: Picnics are fun all year round, but Spring is arguably the most peaceful and beautiful time to have one! A picnic is a lovely way to bake some nature-inspired recipes, and continue to commune with nature as you enjoy them!
24. Cast a Spell: Whether you are a witch or any other religious affiliation you too can cast a spell. Once again, they are a dime a dozen, so get out there looking for an Ostara spell that fits your needs. need help accomplishing goals? Need to bring balance to your life? Need help conceiving? Remember, Ostara is about balance, newness, fertility, and growth. Stick to intentions in those areas!

These are just some of the many ways you can honor the sabbat of Ostara! How do you plan to celebrate the Spring Equinox? Share in the comments below.