��2 ODESSY
Ostara, cont.

���The wearing of new clothing at Easter and other spring festivals also came from a Teutonic pagan tradition. �It was considered extremely bad luck to wear one's spring clothing before Ostara, and the Teutons would work secretly through the winter to prepare fine garments for the Sabbat celebration. �The whole community would gather at Ostara for games, feasting, and religious rituals while showing off their new clothing.
���Another symbol of Ostara is the lamb. �The lamb was sacred to almost all of the virgin goddesses of Europe, the Middle East, and north Africa. �The symbol was so embedded in the mind set of the people, that it was carried over into the spring religious rituals of the Jewish Passover and Christian Easter.

 ���Many pagans like to use natural dyes from flowers and herbs to color the eggs, rather than relying on the commercially-packaged kits. �To get the natural dyes, boil a large handful of an herb or flower until the water is well colored. �Put the water in a heat-resistant cup, mug, or other non-metal container. �Stir in a teaspoon of vinegar and add a pinch of salt, then place a hard-boiled egg gently into the mixture. �Getting the color to "take" is a good bit longer than with the commercial kits, but most pagans feel it is worth the effort and time to preserve the connection with the old ways. �However, the dyes do tend to be less stable, so protect the eggs from being scratched.
���Below is a list of the most commonly used natural dyes, but feel free to experiment and find your own combinations with any non-toxic herb, vegetable, or flower.

Desired Color -- Herbs

Yellow - Carrots, Turmeric, Fenugreek, White grape juice
Orange - Onion skins, Paprika
Red - Red onion skins, Madder root, Cayenne
Red-Violet - Purple grape juice, Red rasberries
Green - Carrot tops, Bracken
Blue - Blueberries, Red cabbage, Black rasberries
Blue-Violet - Blackberries, Beet juice, Mulberries
Pink - Heather
A Symbol of New Life: The Egg

���The most prominent symbol of Ostara is, without a doubt, the egg. �Since early days, eggs, the universal symbol of new life, have been held in reverence as sacred objects of eternal life, carried as fertility amulets, decorated to honor the deities, placed on spring altars, and given as spring gifts.
���The modern belief that these eggs are delivered by a rabbit known as the Easter Bunny, comes from the legend of the Goddess Eostre. �A lowly rabbit wished to please this Goddess so much that he laid the sacred eggs in her honor, gaily decorated them, and humbly presented them to her. �She was so pleased by this gesture, that she wished that all of humankind could share in her joy. �In honoring her wishes, the rabbit went around the world distributing these decorated gifts of life.
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