Joyous Ostara! Happy Easter! 2026!
Spring is here. The earth is waking up, the days are growing longer, and life is slowly returning. And if we are being honest, we potatoes are tired.
This year has been a lot… and we are only 3 months in, and starting month 4. Sigh. It has not just been heavy… it has been relentless. The kind of weight that lingers, that settles into your bones and makes even the things you love feel harder to reach. We have found ourselves moving slower, needing more rest, and holding tighter to the small things that keep us steady.
Usually, this is one of our favorite times of year. We love the shift into spring, the colors, the warmth, the feeling of something new beginning again. But this year, that joy feels quieter. More fragile. Something we have to reach for, and keep reaching for as it keeps slipping out of our fingers and staying just out of reach.
But we are still determined. We are still here. Still trying. Still choosing, in whatever small ways we can, to notice the little things. To breathe. And we hope, wherever you are, you are getting by too. Change is coming, even if it’s slow, even if it doesn’t fix everything all at once.
The Ancient Festival of Ostara
Ostara, rooted in ancient Germanic and Norse traditions, is a celebration that marks the Spring Equinox, a moment of balance when day and night stand as equals before the light begins to take hold once more. It is a celebration of renewal, growth, fertility, and the awakening earth, a time when the world begins to soften again and life slowly, stubbornly returns.
The name Ostara, or Easter, is believed to be connected to Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of dawn and spring. Her symbols, the egg and the hare, represent fertility, rebirth, and the quiet promise of new beginnings, mirroring the earth itself as it wakes from winter.
During this time, people would gather to celebrate the renewal of life. They would decorate, feast, drink, and paint eggs, symbols of fertility and creation. It was not about extravagance or performance, but about community, nourishment, and connection. A shared recognition, respect, and appreciation for the earth and her seasons.
From Ostara to Easter
As Christianity spread across Europe, the Church, as it often did, did not simply attempt to erase these traditions. Instead, it absorbed them, reframed them, and repurposed them. Ostara, with its deep ties to rebirth and renewal, was aligned with the story of Christ’s resurrection, allowing older traditions to be folded into a new narrative rather than openly acknowledged or respected.
This blending, often referred to as religious syncretism, was not an act of preservation. It was an act of conversion and control. The goal was not to honor these traditions, but to overwrite them, to redirect their meaning, and to consolidate power.
And yet, despite that, the spirit of Ostara endured. The eggs, the rabbits, the celebration of life returning, and the quiet reverence for the changing of the seasons remain woven into modern celebrations, whether acknowledged or not.
Recognizing this history does not take away from the season. It deepens it. It brings honesty to our celebrations and reminds us that people, across time and culture, have always searched for light, for connection, and for something to hold onto when the world feels uncertain.
Celebrating Traditions Old and New
This year, we are keeping things very simple.
No elaborate spread, no pressure to create something picture perfect, and no photos this time. We are doing what we can, with the energy we have, and it is going to have to be enough.
We are still making a small meal, still carving out a little space for ourselves, still trying to honor the day in a way that feels manageable. Something warm, something comforting, and something that reminds us we are still here.
If your celebration looks different this year, you are not alone. If it feels smaller, quieter, or harder to access, that is okay. Joy does not have to be loud to be real. It can be soft, brief, and quiet. It can live in a favorite movie, a shared meal, a moment of rest, or simply allowing yourself to breathe.
Easter/Ostara Itinerary 2026!
(Keeping it light, and leaning into laughter this year.)
Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Pink Panther
Easy A
Wicked Little Letters
Since we are leaning into lighter, more comedic picks this year, we decided to switch things up a bit. Instead of our usual holiday-themed game, we put together a general comedy movie drinking game to match the mood. Something easy, a little silly, and hopefully a small source of joy.
The Comedy Movie Drinking Game
Take a sip anytime:
1. A joke actually makes you laugh
2. A character says something wildly inappropriate
3. A misunderstanding drives the plot
4. A character lies and it spirals
5. Someone gets embarrassed in public
6. A character takes something way too seriously
7. Someone delivers a dramatic speech about something ridiculous
8. Physical comedy or slapstick moment
9. A character overreacts
10. Someone interrupts at the worst possible moment
11. A plan immediately goes wrong
12. A character says something awkward and tries to recover
13. A running gag repeats
14. Someone says something they immediately regret
15. A character tries to act cool and fails
16. A ridiculous coincidence happens
17. A character gets called out
18. There’s an unexpected callback to an earlier joke
19. Someone breaks social norms or etiquette
20. A moment is unintentionally wholesome
Holding Space for Healing
We know that this season, which is meant to represent renewal, does not always feel that way. Sometimes renewal looks like rest. Sometimes it looks like survival. Sometimes it looks like simply making it through the day.
If you are not feeling hopeful right now, that does not mean you are doing anything wrong. You are allowed to feel tired, overwhelmed, and uncertain. You are allowed to step back from celebration entirely if that is what you need.
This season does not demand joy from you. It does not require performance. It does not ask you to be anything other than where you are. And wherever that is, it is valid.
Cheers to the Season
As the light slowly returns, and the soft spring rains falls, we are trying, gently, to return with it. Not all at once, and not perfectly, just a little at a time.
The world may feel chaotic, cruel, unfair, and overwhelming, but the seasons still change. The earth still turns. Life still comes back. There is something steady in that, something worth holding onto.
So whether you are celebrating, resting, grieving, or simply existing your way through this season, we hope you can find even a small moment of comfort. May your days be gentle, your nights be restful, and may you give yourself grace, and take very good care of yourself. Rest and self-care are necessary for well-being, yes… but it is also necessary for the fight.
Cheers to life returning. Cheers to the quiet resilience that carries us through. Cheers to resting and keeping up our strength. And most importantly, cheers to you!
Happy Ostara! Happy Easter! Happy Spring 2026!
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. Please be safe, have fun, and take care of you.