In a society where the seasons fluctuated between midnight sun and endless night, the winter and summer solstices were of utmost importance. So it is only logical that a holiday that is in most cultures a celebration of spring and fertility, be caught up the excitement of impending summer.
Summer Finding (also known as Ostara or Eostre) falls on the vernal equinox, a day of balance between light and dark. On the Christian calendar, this day generally falls around March 21st (check observatory sites for the exact date and time for your area).
If you were raised a Christian, you’ll have noticed by now that the Christian holiday of Easter coincides very closely with Summer Finding. You may have even noticed that Eostre is a name very similar to Easter. In fact, like most Christian holidays, Easter was orchestrated by the early Catholic Church to coincide with Pagan spring fertility festivals, in order to coopt some of their symbols and retain converts. Easter bunnies and painted eggs, for example, are ancient symbols of fertility (think about the rabbit thing for a moment and you’ll understand).
Ostara/Eostre is a Saxon Goddess of the spring who’s symbols are the hare and eggs. Recently, there has been contention over whether Ostara was an actual, worshipped Goddess, or if she was created by the early Saxon scholar, the Venerable Bede. There is also only one reference of her. As a historian, I am inclined to believe that Ostara actually was worshipped. As a professor of mine once said, a lack of evidence is not enough to draw conclusions. Any conclusions drawn from a lack of evidence is sheer, unsupported conjecture, merely one possibility among many.
We have almost no evidence about what the Norse actually did for Summer Finding as a religious festival. However, one can presume that the return of growing things, planting, fertility, Freya (Goddess of love, sex, and women’s magick), and perhaps Sunna the sun Goddess may have been involved. Though planting may have been delayed (if done at all) in the far northern provinces of Scandinavia. Landwights (or spirits of the land) may have also been honored at this time.
Honor the Gods and/or Landwights with seasonal offerings. The arrival of spring heralded bitter greens, early flowers, and milk and eggs. Also, an end to the near-starvation of the long, dark winter months. Celebration with a feast of new greens, eggs, milk and cheese, and other spring produce like asparagus, leeks, and/or radishes would be in order. If you are meat eater, spring lamb would be another good addition. In all things, go for local or regional foods, especially if you are honoring the landwights.
Since Summer Finding is also about fertility, this might be a good time to get together with your special someone for a romantic feast. But if you don’t have a special someone, the return of the growing earth is more than enough to celebrate.
