Spring-Celeb-lnks

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Spring-Celeb-lnks – 5/30/05

A set of web links to information on medieval Spring Celebrations by Dame Aoife Finn of Ynos Mon.

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From: aoife at scatoday.net

Subject: [Aoife-Links] Medieval Spring Celebrations

Date: March 19, 2005 9:09:30 PM CST

To: aoife-links at scatoday.net

Greetings, my Faithful Readers!

This Links List is in honor of the Spring Equinox (which falls tomorrow, March 20th 2005, as I write this), and in honor of Spring Holidays. Equinox actually means "Equal Night". I suppose that in the summer Equinox, the day and night are equal, but Spring is the promise that summer is just around the bend. In truth, I find myself more hopeful, cheerful and productive as the nights shorten and the sunlight stays with us more. Apparently that's a sentiment that's share by many cultures and through many different times.

Below you will find links to a lot of different Spring celebrations from many differing religions. Unfortunately (and presented here since it's an important piece that related to Historical Easter celebrations), there is also a link to Constantine I's instructions about celebrating Easter. Constantine was a shockingly forthright bigot, and if anti-Semitism bothers you, please skip that link, as his words are sure offend you. You should note however that his sentiments, while not appreciated in this time, were somewhat the norm for HIS time and place. Thanks goodness we've come a long way since then.

You'll find not only spring celebration links, but also something very necessary to anyone who celebrates spring in ANY culture: recipes for eggs--especially hard-boiled eggs--- those universal symbols of renewing life. Just for fun, there's a link at the very end containing silly Easter jokes to entertain the nieces and nephews on their big day. For instance:

Q: What do you get if you pour boiling water down a rabbit hole?

A: Hot, cross bunnies!

Cheers (and please share this wherever it will find a ready audience)

Aoife

Dame Aoife Finn of Ynos Mon

Riverouge

Endless Hills

Aethelmearc

Spring Eqionox

http://www.bright.net/~jimsjems/spring.html">http://www.bright.net/~jimsjems/spring.html

(Site Excerpt) In many cultures New Years Day was traditionally in late

March. Most of the Roman republic and Medieval Europe celebrated New Years

in March. It was not until 1582 and the institution of the Gregorian

calendar that January 1st became the date to begin a New Year in the Western

world. Festivals and rites, a time to celebrate the renewal of life,

generally preceded by a period of fasting. The Babylonians celebrated Akitu

at the spring equinox. Ostara, German Goddess of Fertility, and Eostre,

Saxon Goddess of Fertility, both represent the awakening of the earth.

Christians celebrate Easter, the resurrection of Christ.

Vernal Equinox

http://www.gurdjieffdominican.com/equinox_spring.htm">http://www.gurdjieffdominican.com/equinox_spring.htm

(Site Excerpt) Generations have recognized the vernal equinox for thousands

of years. There are different rituals and traditions surrounding the coming

of spring.For many, the basic reason was that their food supplies would soon

be restored. In Christianity the date is significant because Easter always

falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal

equinox. The Egyptians also built the Great Sphinx so that it points

directly toward the rising Sun on the day of the vernal equinox.

Muin Light

http://www.muinmound.org/nlarchive/ostara95.html">http://www.muinmound.org/nlarchive/ostara95.html

(Site Excerpt) Eostre, or Ostara is the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring who

has given her name to the Spring festival, Easter. A Teutonic variant of

Ishtar and Astarte, and ultimately Isis, the original feast of Eostre was

celebrated in the Pagan calendar at the Vernal Equinox. Her sacred month was

the third lunar month, the Moon of Eostre, which corresponds to the period

from mid-February to mid-March solar; it is also called the Month of the

Greening of the Earth...The Easter Bunny is much older than Christianity. It

is the lunar hare, sacred to the Moon Goddess in both the Orient and in

western countries...

Alice's Medieval Feasts and Fasts: Easter

http://mw.mcmaster.ca/scriptorium/alice_site/easter_more_end.html">http://mw.mcmaster.ca/scriptorium/alice_site/easter_more_end.html

(Site Excerpt) Though it was not uncommon for tenant farmers to still be

required to put in their work on the lord's farm on most feast days, Easter

was a notable exception. The feast was taken very seriously, and all work

stopped, even that of kings, and judicial courts. This was to ensure that

everyone would be in church - the one time of year when this was essential

Spring: Quickening and Rebirth

http://secondsightresearch.tripod.com/bodyandsoul/id4.html">http://secondsightresearch.tripod.com/bodyandsoul/id4.html

(Site Excerpt) Gods and Godesses of Spring: Beiwe: The Goddess of Lapland

who heralded the coming of Spring.

Chalcihuitlicue: The Precious Jewel of the Aztecs, Goddess of gemstones and

gemstone magick, Chalcihuitlicue was Goddess of the flowing water. She ruled

storms, streams, and whirlpools. She was also the Goddess of love, magic,

spirits, flowers, and Spring growth.

Tel Shemesh: Bud of Spring: Nisan

http://www.telshemesh.org/nisan/">http://www.telshemesh.org/nisan/

(Site Excerpt) In the Jewish calendar, the first of the month of Nisan is

the beginning to spring, and falls close to the spring equinox. It comes

halfway between the playful holiday of Purim and the festival of Passover,

when birds are beginning to sing and warmth and growth are beginning to take

hold. The first of Nisan is one of the four new years of the Jewish

calendar1, marking the "first of the months" (rosh chadashim)2, or the

beginning of time itself.

Medieval Sourcebook: Constantine I: On the Keeping of Easter

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/const1-easter.html">http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/const1-easter.html

(Site Excerpt: STRONG WARNING: Rampant but Genuinely Medieval Anti-Semitism, in Constantine's own words, translated and left out of this excerpt) "When the question relative to the sacred festival of Easter arose, it was universally thought that it would be convenient that all should keep the

feast on one day; for what could be more beautiful and more desirable, than

to see this festival, through which we receive the hope of immortality,

celebrated by all with one accord, and in the same manner? ..."

Kabulian.net: Naw Ruz

http://www.angelfire.com/ak5/farda/nz.html">http://www.angelfire.com/ak5/farda/nz.html

(Site Excerpt) Naw Ruz (NouRooz, NowRuz) is a Persian festival which celebrates the New Year. Naw Roz which means (New Day) is being celebrated by people in Afghanistan, Iran & Tajikistan also Muslims who belong to Shia't section celebrate this new year all over the world.

Chinese Holiday and Festival Calendar

http://www.expatsinchina.com/new/holifest.html">http://www.expatsinchina.com/new/holifest.html

A variety of Spring Holidays are listed.

Easter Eggs-History and Tradition (Note: I don't know if parts of this are

true superstitions in medieval times, but it's entertaining!--Aoife)

http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/history/icons/easter_egg.htm">http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/history/icons/easter_egg.htm

(Site Excerpt) Later during the Christian period, it was believed that eggs

laid on Good Friday, if kept for a hundred years, would have their yolks

turn to diamond. If Good Friday eggs were cooked on Easter they would

promote the fertility of the trees and crops and protect against sudden

deaths. And, if you would find two yolks in an Easter egg, be sure, you're

going to be rich soon....Eggs were said to be dyed and eaten at the spring

festivals in ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

How the egg came to symbolize Easter

By Patricia Zacharias / The Detroit News

http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=102&;category=life">http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=102&;category=life

(Site Excerpt) Egyptians and Persians used to dye eggs in spring colors and

give them to friends as a symbol of renewed life long before Christ was

born. The myths of several Eastern and middle Eastern cultures maintain that

the earth itself was hatched from a giant egg.

Medieval Egg Recipe: The making of Stuffed Eggs

Gode Cookery, submitted by L J Spencer (know to SCA-cooks as "Ras"---Aoife)

http://www.godecookery.com/friends/frec107.htm">http://www.godecookery.com/friends/frec107.htm

(Site Excerpt) Original recipe: Take as many eggs as thou wilt and boil

them whole in hot water, put them in cold water and divide them in half with

a thread. Take the yolks aside and crush cilantro, put in onion juice,

pepper, .... Modern recipe: 12 Eggs, hard-boiled and peeled , 1 T. Cilantro,

mashed ,1 tsp Onion juice...