Spring Equinox, 21st March
Otherwise known as Ostara (Spring Goddess) the Vernal Equinox.
As with all the other Sabbats this too is known by many names and celebrated by many paths. It is celebrated traditionally in the middle of March when night and day are of equal length. It is a celebration of balance. The Christians celebrate this as Easter, the Caledonii refer to it as Alban Eiler and consider it the warrior aspect of God. The Wiccan's celebrate simply as Spring Equinox. The name Ostara comes from the Goddess Ostara or Eostre, the Goddess of Fertility and Protection. She is portrayed commonly surrounded by flowers, brown bunnies and occasionally holding a shield for the symbol of protection. This is also the time of resurrection.
This is another great time to buy a broom with Spring-cleaning and "all", and possibly a new staff. This is the second of the Spring festivals. Seeds are blessed for planting and yes eggs are colored as well. (If you want to hide some for the kids- go ahead, it's fun.)
Your home and ritual area should be decked with flowers such as daffodils, primroses, or forsythia, and green boughs. Use light colors, green, lemon yellow, and pale pink are traditional for this holiday. At the center of your circle should be a cauldron. Besides eggs, flowers and other essentials for the altar don't forget at this time to definitely include the wheel, it should definitely symbolize fire whether with candles or pictures, this is a solar festival. If you can't figure out how to symbolize this aspect, simply paint it yellow. Use sweet incense such as strawberry, jasmine or other light scented incense. Use ribbons around anything and everything. Everyone joining in the ritual celebrations should be in light colors if possible. You might even want to wear flowers and garlands in your hair.
The traditional food for this celebration are sweet cakes, honeycakes, and twisted bread. Everyone should have at least one, and don't forget the sidhe offering. You may wish to have milk for each in the celebration as well and don't forget the eggs. I bet by now if you are new to the craft you are really starting to wonder how the eggs fit into this whole thing. Well, the original egg comes from the belief of the World Egg, traditionally a serpents egg painted bright scarlet. It was believed that the Goddess laid the egg and it was split open by the heat of the Sun God, thus the world was born. The Orphic mysteries changed it from a serpent egg to a cock, since this was the Orphic bird of resurrection. Thus you have it in the simple form: the cock (or hen) of resurrection lays the world egg, then we paint it to represent the world in many colors, and Ostara's bunnies then take over. Makes it a little simpler doesn't it?