This is an organic document, and is being regularly updated.  If
your interpretation of a holiday isn't mentioned, please let me 
know.

Marc Carlson
Marc-Carlson@UTULSA.EDU
Last updated 1998
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For some traditions, these Holidays begin at Sundown the evening
BEFORE the date given.

17 Mar         St. Patricks Day.

18 Mar         Sheelah's Day (Patrick's Wife or Mother)

March 21-2     (Vernal Equinox; Ostara/Eostre; Ostarun; Mean Earrach; 
               Lady Day)
               End of Winter, and the beginning of Summer, the
               "Season of the Sun's Ascendence". Rebirth of the
               God of Spring.  Rebirth of Life as symbolized by
               Spring.
               Eostar-monath is the name given to the spring month
               of the Anglo-Saxon year, and is not Celtic.
               Eostre is generally believed to be the Saxon name 
               for a maiden Spring Goddess.
               Ostara is pronounced "o-STAHR-uh."  Eostre is
               pronounced "OHS-truh" or "EST-truh".
               This is the spring equinox. 
            *Interpretations*
               *  Day and night are equal as Spring begins to
               enliven the environment with new growth and more
               newborn animals. Many people feel "reborn" after
               the long nights and coldness of winter.
               *  N.b. Historically, not a big Celtic holiday
               *  In some ancient Middle eastern religions, this
               is the beginning of the New Year and the
               celebration of the Living God-King to the
               Goddess-Priestess.
               *  The Venerable Bede (673?-735 CE), in his book De
               Ratione Temporum, appears to be the first person to
               assert that Pascha Sunday was named after a Germanic
               dawn goddess of fertility, called variously as Eostre,
               Eastre, Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Ostarun, Ostera, 
               Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and 
               Ausos.  Her festival was celebrated at the Vernal
               Equinox, during Eostur-monath.
               *  Some modern believers have associated her with the 
               Semitic goddesses Astarte and Ishtar.
               *  Some feel that the rabbit was her ancient escort,
               and that the "Easter Bunny" and Easter Eggs are hold
               overs of her festivals.
               *  According to modern pagan mythology the tutelary
               deity of this holiday. It is she, as herald of the
               sun, who announces the triumphal return of life to
               the earth.
               *  Some people also attribute the naming of Estrus, a 
               particularly feminine aspect of biology after her.  Some
               reflect this by pointing out that Eostara is a lunar
               holiday, honoring a lunar Goddess, at the Vernal 
               Full Moon.
               *  She is celebrated with singing, rejoicing, 
               processionals, flowers, the ringing of bells, lighting 
               new fires at dawn for crop protection and healing, 
               coloring and rolling eggs for fertility, baking and
               eating Hot Crossed buns (the "crosses" often
               symbolizing cattle's horns, or the crescent moon).
               *  Witches in the Greek tradition celebrate the
               return from Hades of Demeter's daughter Persephone
               *  The descent of the God or Goddess into the
               Underworld (Jesus/Demeter/Isis/Ishtar) to rescue
               the God of Rebirth.
               *  Some in the Celtic tradition see in the blossoms
               the passing of Olwen, in whose footprints flowers
               bloom. The enigmatic egg, laid by the regenerating
               snake or the heavenly bird, is a powerful symbol of
               the emergence of life out of apparent death or
               absence of life.  As well as the rescue of the May
               Queen, the Flower-Princess from the King of the
               Otherworld.
               *  To some people this is a festival in honor of
               Oengus Og and the Goddess Dana.
               *  Ritual noting the Arrival of the Bright One at
               the court of The Wounded King.

25 Mar         "Lady Day"; the Feast of the Annunciation of the
               Blessed Virgin Mary; "Old New Years".  Beginning of
               new years festivities that last until 1 April.