Joyous Ostara! Happy Easter 2024!

Happy Easter! Joyous Ostara! As the flowers bloom and the world awakens to the bright hues of spring, we potatoes, find ourselves enjoying the soft rain and greenery of spring and happy to celebrate the vibrant tapestry of traditions that mark this season of renewal and rebirth!

Easter, with its familiar symbols of eggs and bunnies, intertwines with Ostara, an ancient festival that heralds the spring equinox. Rooted in age-old traditions, Ostara celebrates the balance of day and night, the awakening earth, and the burgeoning fertility of the land. It's a time when nature's revival is honored through rituals and customs that embrace the promise of new life.

As we delve into the past, it becomes evident that the Christian observance of Easter and the pagan celebration of Ostara share more than just a season! The name 'Easter' itself is thought to be derived from 'Eostre,' the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and dawn, whose symbols, notably the egg and the hare, have been woven into the fabric of Easter celebrations, symbolizing fertility, rebirth, and new beginnings!

As we have discussed before, the Christianization of Europe saw the transformation of many pagan traditions. Ostara, with its deep-rooted connections to the earth's renewal, was unfortunately, no exception. As Christianity spread, the resurrection of Christ and the themes of rebirth and renewal inherent in the Easter narrative were merged with the ancient customs of Ostara. This fusion was part of a broader strategy to facilitate the transition of pagan communities to Christianity, adopting and repurposing existing celebrations to fit the Christian calendar and narrative.

This blending of traditions, while creating the customs we know today, also carries the weight of cultural appropriation. The co-opting of Ostara's symbols and practices into Easter festivities underscores the Christian churches complex history of religious syncretism, where the lines between cultural exchange and cultural assimilation are purposefully blurred. We potatoes are sorry that this keeps coming up, but it is unfortunately true and we cannot ignore it. As we have said before, we feel that acknowledging this history is crucial, not to cast a shadow over the celebrations, but to shed light on their true origins, and to honor the depth and diversity of the practices that contribute to our modern day celebrations.

As we celebrate, we embrace the joy and spirit of both Easter and Ostara, recognizing the shared themes of life, renewal, and the triumphant return of light! Our festivities are a mosaic of old and new, from the egg hunts and Easter baskets to the Ostara rituals that connect us more deeply with the earth's cycles!

In our own home, we've cultivated our own way to honor this season! Our table this year is a breakfast feast, laden with foods that we feel are appropriate for this day, surrounded by cute decorations that echo the colors of Ostara and life returning to the world after winter. Movies can be a bit trickier to come by this time of year, as we potatoes like to look for movies that uplift, and embody more of the original essence of this holiday. Still! We have ones that we watch every year and we have added a couple new ones!

Hard Boiled eggs (we forgot to dye them), scrambled eggs with ham, bacon, sausage, toast, and hash browns! It was delicious, simple and super fun!

This Easter/Ostara’s Itinerary!

1.     Bambi

2.     Miss Potter

3.     Mary Poppins

4.     Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day

5.     Harvey

6.     Zootopia

Yet, amid all of the celebration, we urge you to hold space for reflection on the complexities of this season's history. We feel that we must acknowledge the intricate dance of convergence and appropriation that has shaped our Holidays, using this awareness to foster a deeper, more inclusive appreciation of the season's significance.

As you can see above, we've developed our own special ways to embrace the spring festivities of Easter and Ostara! We find immense pleasure in marking the occasion in our own small, heartfelt manner, customizing the celebration to resonate with us! The societal pressure towards grandiose, large, familial or public celebrations can be overwhelming, but we want to reassure any of you who might appreciate the reminder: you have the freedom to celebrate these holidays in any manner that feels right to you, be it lavishly, understated or not at all!

Finding joy in the simple pleasures of the season, such as simply enjoying the warmer spring weather, wearing bunny ears, simply enjoying a peaceful moment, really whatever is feasible and feels right to you, are all valid ways to enjoy the day! Any way you wish to honor the essence of Easter and Ostara that nurtures your well-being and inner peace is the right way to do so. We need not sacrifice our peace, money and fun for the sake of society or family. Your peace, and well-being is important.

So, as we all gather to celebrate, let our hearts be filled with the light of understanding, reflection and the joys of spring! May your Easter and Ostara be a celebration of renewal, a tapestry of traditions that honors the past, delights in the present, and sows seeds of hope for the future!

Cheers to a season of renewal, to the stories that unite us, and to the enduring cycle of life and light that inspires us all! Happy Easter, joyous Ostara, and a wonderful spring to you and yours!

The Ostara/Easter Drinking Game!

Take a sip anytime:

1.        Anyone says “Easter”

2.        Anyone says “bunny”, or “rabbit”

3.        Carrots on screen

4.        Rabbit or Rabbit’s on screen

5.        You hear chirping birds

6.        Anyone is dyeing eggs

7.        There is an Easter egg hunt

8.        Colorful eggs on screen

9.        Colorful spring flowers on screen

10.     There is family drama of any kind

11.     There's a gathering with friends or family

12.     There is candy onscreen

13.     There are Peeps marshmallows on screen

14.     There is a Easter parade or festive event

15.     All scenes set in a Church

Have you seen any of the movies on our itinerary? Did you love them? Did you hate them!? What films do we need to watch? Do you like this drinking game? Are there rules missing? Is the game too intense? What do you like to do to celebrate during this time of year? What are your favorite traditions? Have you come up with any new or different traditions? What do you think of this holiday? Any and all thoughts are welcome! Let us know down in the comments and always remember to be safe and drink responsibly! (Drinks can be water, soda, anything nonalcoholic, etc. Please be safe, have fun and take care of you!)