from Zariste’s Concise Guide to World Religions

One of the four festivals of the Goddess, Plantfete is held on the spring equinox, often with festivities starting at dawn. This spring festival celebrates reawakening and growth, with the Spring Queen and her mate the Earth King as its patrons.

The day before Plantfete, families hard-boil eggs then dye or paint them in bright colors to represent spring’s reawakening and life’s potential, and these decorated eggs are used for various egg games the following day.

Plantfete festivities begin before dawn with most attending Lauds. Plantfete Lauds is often held outdoors with the service starting with a silent watch of the dawn followed by the service celebrating the Goddess’s gift of the upcoming day and growing season. The wheat maiden from Harvestfete is blessed during Plantfete Lauds.

After Lauds, decorated eggs are concealed outside for children to hunt, which are then eaten for breakfast. Then families perform songs about the birth of Damensea. Some songs have been passed down for generations, but new ones are sung as well.

Shortly before noon, families begin the Goddess plantings. First, they plow the harvest maiden into the fields. Then each family member plants a favorite bulb or seed, and these plants are specially tended throughout the growing season and used in Summerday festivities. After the plantings, everyone eats luncheon then youth roll decorated eggs down hills with long wooden spoons, and the winner of the egg roll receives a massapan cake.

In the evening, the remaining decorated eggs are laid on the floor for the egg dance. Dressed in white with colorful ribbons, silver bells, and garlands of spring flowers, betrothed or courting couples dance amid the eggs, and the couple who breaks the least eggs shall be wed the following morning, regardless of any opposition (except consanguinity.)

The traditional fare of Plantfete is roast lamb, hare pie, early rhubarb, spring greens, cheesecakes, and custards. Ingredients are often served in both salty dishes and sweet dishes, a tradition borrowed from the Twins’ Balance Day celebration (also on the equinox.) Herb tea and white wine are often served with Plantfete feasts.