Walpurgis Eve
April 30 marks a major event in northern Europe, and particularly Sweden. May Day and its eve signal the passing of winter and the arrival of spring. It's no coincidence that exactly six months later All Saints' Day and its eve (Halloween) occur at harvest time.In medieval Sweden, the fiscal year stretched from May 1 to April 30, giving an additional reason for celebration on Walpurgis Eve. In rural areas, livestock was allowed to roam freely on the night of April 30, and therefore large bonfires were lit to scare away carnivores. Some people felt the bonfires also kept witches and the devil at bay.
The name Walpurgis comes from the 8th-century English saint who traveled to Germany as a missionary. Her canonization date of May 1 connected her name to this popular celebration of springtime and gave it legitimacy.
Walpurgis is especially popular with university students, who in recent years have added new activities to the traditional singing and dancing. For example, in Uppsala the students ride homemade, decorated rafts down the Fyrisan River through the middle of town. It looks really cold!
posted by Stahlkes @ 12:01 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home