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Every wondered how to explain Ostara to your children?  Well… with a bit of imagination and a few plastic eggs, it just got easier.

Before your egg hunt, prepare several eggs with symbols of this special day.  When your child opens the eggs, he/she will be thrilled to get little trinkets and you will have a starting point for some great discussion.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

1. picture of earth in equal light and darkness
Today is the spring equinox. An equinox is when the length of the day and night are the same… equal. Because of the equinoxes, we have seasons.

2. root children: picture or figurine of a fairy, elf or small child
On the Spring equinox, the root children come out to play again. They know it is time for change.

3. small yellow or orange bouncy ball: represents the sun
The days will begin to get warmer during the springtime and…

4. seed: representing the growing plants
With this new warmth, plants will begin to emerge from their underground beds and reach toward the sun with great joy.

5. small plastic animal: represents the birth of new animals
Baby animals will begin to be born as well.

6. a little homemade broom: clearing out old habits and replacing them with good ones
Today is a wonderful day to start new habits. Think about some things you need to change. How do you think you can make this change happen?

Take turns using a broom to sweep the floors in your house, the porches and sidewalks. While sweeping be sure to think about how you can make the needed changes and picture the old habits being swept away.

7. a small bird or bunny: the legend of the bunny and egg
Eostre was walking one fine Spring day and came upon a beautiful little bird. The poor bird’s wing was badly injured and Eostre, feeling great compassion for the little creature, wanted to heal it. But the little bird’ wing was so badly damaged that Eostre knew it would never be able to fly again even after She healed it. So, Eostre decided to help the bird by healing it in a way that would give it mobility and a little something more… She turned it into a rabbit!

8. an egg: the legend of the bunny and egg
During the transformation, the rabbit retained the ability to lay eggs. The rabbit was so grateful to Eostre for saving its life that it laid a sacred egg in Her honor, joyously decorated it and then humbly presented it to the Goddess. She was so pleased and so touched by the rabbit’s thoughtful gift that She wished all humankind to share in her joy. In honoring her wishes, the rabbit went all over the world distributing these beautifully decorated little gifts of life and continues to do so even today.

9. empty egg
Spring is a time of change and rebirth. What are some goals for your family? Take a moment and write them down. Have a grown up go and bury the paper in your garden. Say… Mother Earth I pass these heart desires on to you so you can guide my family in making our dreams come true. Draw a star in the Earth.

Blessed Be.

*Note: I based my egg traditions after several that I found for Christians.  I just changed it to fit my needs.  As for the bits of  story about Eostre and the bunny, I do not recall where I found this information.  I believe it to be from multiple sources.