Oestara

It was Oestara recently and I celebrated by making some fairy cakes. Oestara (also spelt Ostara) is one of the sabbats, it's the Spring Equinox and happens around 21st March in the northern hemisphere. (In the southern hemisphere it's reversed, so they have their Autumnal Equinox around this time).

It was a precursor to the Christian festival of Easter, its name comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Ostara (also known as Eostar/Eostre/Oestara). She is the goddess of the dawn and fertility and her symbols are the egg and the hare (both of which are associated with the modern Easter). The Spring Equinox is when the days and nights are of equal length, and from then on the days continue to get lighter and the nights shorter until Litha (Midsummer/ the Summer Solstice) which is around 21st June, when the days gradually get shorter again. (If you live in the southern hemisphere, just reverse it). :) The Persephone and Demeter Greek myth is also related to this time of year.

Now spring is coming and the world is waking up again. You can see the signs with the flowers coming out, trees blossoming and lambs being born.


Oestara was on the 20th this year. I made the fairy cakes (like cupcakes) and put Cadbury Mini Eggs on top!

Sorry the pic is sideways! lol

It's just a basic fairy cake recipe that I got from my mum. :) Here's the recipe:

Fairy Cakes

Ingredients

Cakes

6oz butter/margarine
6oz caster sugar
3 medium eggs
6 oz self raising flour 
Pinch of salt

Buttercream
(I used the recipe on the back of the Tate and Lyle packet)

3oz butter
6oz icing sugar
1 tbsp milk

1. Cream the softened butter together with the sugar until it's light and fluffy (and you can't hear the sugar scraping against the bowl).

2. In a separate bowl beat the eggs together lightly.

3. Gradually add the eggs to sugar and butter mixture and beat together.

4. Sift the flour into the mixture and fold it in with a metal spoon. Add in a pinch of salt

5. Put into cake cases in a bun tray

6. Cook for about 15 mins at 180 degrees Celsius (until the cakes spring back when you touch them).


For the buttercream:

Cream the softened butter and icing sugar together, then add the milk. Mix in. Spread over cooled cakes.

I put the Mini Eggs on top and put a few inside the cakes with the buttercream and covered it back over.

Enjoy! :)

 

You can also make these for Easter (or any other time, except you'd have to replace the Mini Eggs with something else because unfortunately they're not around all year!). Easter Sunday is on 20th April this year. I'm going to make something but I'm not sure what yet. I've had a bit of an overload of cakes recently! lol. I made the Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake in February, had Red Velvet cake for my birthday and then made a coffee and walnut cake for Mother's Day last weekend, so I might make some biscuits instead.

For more on Oestara visit these links:

https://discover.hubpages.com/holidays/Ostara

https://wiccaliving.com/wiccan-calendar-ostara-spring-equinox/


P.S. I updated my Pinterest Seasonal board for spring. Check it out here: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/moonsparkle84/seasonal/