Ostara
The Spring Equinox this year falls on March 20, giving you a whole week-end to play with! This holiday is known variously as Ostara, Eostre, and the Rites of Spring. The Earth is throwing off her mantle of sleep and preparing for a new season of growth. The days and night are equal, and the Sun is growing stronger. Plants are starting to bud and sprout, the birds return from the south, and the neighborhood rabbits and squirrels are starting their families.
Ostara eggs are a perennial favorite for celebrating the Spring Equinox, whether you buy plastic ones, candy ones or dye your own. Plastic ones can be filled with small candies or things like erasers, stickers, costume jewelry, or other small toys. Make candy eggs by melting a Hershey Bar over low heat. Blow an egg (poke a small hole in each end and blow the contents out), then cover one hole with tape. Enlarge the other hole and pour the melted chocolate into the egg. Once the chocolate hardens you can peel the eggshell off and eat it! Egg-coloring kits are available at most grocery stores, or you can use home-made vegetable dyes which give a softer, more natural look to the eggs. To make egg dye, add a few handfuls of the following materials to 2 to 3 cups of water and boil for 10 minutes. Strain, put in cups, and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to "set" the dye. For red or pink dye, use beets or madder root; for yellow, use onion peels; for blue, use woad; carrot tops produce a pale yellow-green, and red cabbage or blueberries produce purple.
"Easter" baskets are another favorite. Make one for a family pet by planting catnip or kitty grass in a small pot. Put the pot inside a basket, and add a few treats like dog biscuits or catnip toys. Make one for each child by planting wheat berries (this is best done a week or two ahead of time) and you’ll have natural wheat "grass" instead of that neon green stuff. Buy or make small "birds’ nests" out of grape vine and Spanish moss, put some of your home-made Ostara eggs in them, and hide them in the yard for the kids to find on Ostara morning.
Spring time is a time for planting. Here in Ohio, the Spring Equinox marks the earliest time I can plant anything outside. Hardy vegetables like peas and broccoli can be planted outside now, as can spinach and onions and leeks from seed. Other things can be started indoors; give your kids each a pot and some seeds to plant in a sunny window. Beans and sunflowers are particularly rewarding; look for seeds with short germination times and short "days to maturity" for the best effect.
Decorate your house for spring. There are several sewing patterns available for cloth eggs, bunnies, and baskets that would make good Ostara decorations. Decorate your altar (and any other tabletop) with spring flowers: daffodils, hyacinths, narcissus…All of these can be bought cut or as bulbs for forcing and they smell wonderful!! Encourage your children to do spring-themed artwork and hang it around the house. Put some of your home-made birds’ nests on the altar, as well as feathers and any outdoor treasures your kids have found.
On Ostara morning, consider getting up early enough to see the sun come up. Ostara is after all the "dawn" of the new year! Toast the sun with fruit juice, then take your kids on a nature walk. Try to find as many signs of spring as you can: birds’ nests, new buds, flowers coming up…
Of course the favorite part of any holiday is the feast. Good foods for Ostara are (of course) eggs and egg dishes, chicken, lamb (if you eat it; I don’t), greens, or egg-shaped cookies decorated with pastel icing. Hot-cross buns are a traditional Good Friday food with pagan origins. Serve salad with Green Goddess dressing. Orange juice or lemonade are good drinks.
QUICHE
Beat together the eggs, half-and-half and salt and pepper. In the bottom of the pastry-lined pie pan, sprinkle whatever additions you like. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 and bake for another 30 minutes.
HOT CROSS BUNS
Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in milk, sugar, shortening,salt, egg, raisins, spices, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix in enough of the remaining flour to make a sticky dough. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise until double. Punch down and divide into 24 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place on a greased cookie sheet. Use scissors to snip a cross on the top of each ball. Cover and let rise again. Brush with egg white and bake at 375 about 20 minutes. Mix ¾ cup powdered sugar with 2 tsp milk and ¼ tsp vanilla and frost when cool.