Walpurgis Night

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Stockholm boasts of numerous towering cathedrals and church spires which are nowadays an integral part of the city’s skyline. But this Scandinavian city also contains remnants of its pagan religions that remind of the old times when such pagan rituals as for example Walpurgis Night were widely practiced all over Sweden as well as in the other European countries. It was however until the time when Christianity first founded its chapels, churches, cathedrals and convents in the 14 major islands of Stockholm and the rest of the Swedish archipelago.

In fact, it is interesting to note that aside from Christmas, the two other most widely-celebrated annual holidays in Sweden, which are Midsummer Night and Walpurgis Night, are celebrations that stem their beginnings from pagan beliefs.

Walpurgis Night is a sort of Viking ritual, and Sweden being a Scandinavian country practices this holiday all over the archipelago. It is celebrated every year either on the 30th of April or the 1st of May. The name Walpurgis Night ('Valborgsmässoafton') came from the saint Valborg. She was the daughter of King Richard of England. According to the legend she and her brothers decided to move to Germany. There they founded a catholic convent where she became a nun. The historians say that this is highly unlikely, but catholic calendar contains the date of her death - the 25th of February 779.

On the 1st of May 779 she was made a saint and on this day Vikings usually worshipped spring. Thus these two celebrations were very soon mixed together. And even till the present days people gather together around big bonfires every year on the 1st of May to celebrate Walpurgis Night. They dance and sing songs to welcome spring.

Branches and leaves for bonfires are usually gathered well in advance. After Christmas celebrations Christmas trees are the most widely used material for bonfires. The Vikings believed that bonfires help to keep away evil spirits as well as Germans light them to scare off witches. Bonfires are also believed to purify nature and hurry up spring.

To welcome spring in the right and most friendly way, people clean their gardens to show spring that they are ready for new harvest. On this night they also let their goats and cows in the forest for them to start their grazing. In all possible ways people try to show that they are ready for spring to come.

Besides Sweden Walpurgis Night is also celebrated in Czech Republic, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland and Germany.