March 21

March 21 is the date of the first full moon after the spring equinox, a fixed point in the liturgical calendar of Gilead that anchors the annual Spring Equinox Grace ceremony at Ardua Hall. On this day, the Aunts and Supplicants gather in the Refectory for a special supper featuring dyed eggs—baby pink and baby blue—a rare variation in their monotonous diet. Aunt Lydia leads the Prayer of Grace, which includes a blessing for Baby Nicole, the infant smuggled out of Gilead by her Handmaid mother and hidden in Canada. The prayer calls for her restoration: "May our Baby Nicole be restored to us, we pray; may Grace return her." As she prays, all eyes focus on Baby Nicole's picture hanging on the wall behind her, a portrait that serves as a propaganda tool to whip up the faithful and inspire hatred against Gilead's enemies. Aunt Lydia reflects privately that Baby Nicole's usefulness is far from over; should the girl end up in her hands, she would have a brilliant future. The ceremony concludes with a hymn written by Aunt Lydia herself, sung by a trio of young Supplicants, whose pure voices momentarily create beauty within the regime. After the singing, Aunt Lydia observes the other Founders: Aunt Elizabeth takes one more egg than her share, Aunt Helena takes one fewer to be noticed, and Aunt Vidala's red-rimmed eyes flick between them, watching for weakness. The date thus functions as a ritualized moment of collective devotion that simultaneously exposes the regime's internal rivalries and Aunt Lydia's strategic manipulation of the Baby Nicole icon.