Valborgsmässoafton, or Walpurgis Night, is one of the traditional celebrations in Sweden. Here’s how it started and what’s it all about:
Not many people may know that Walpurgis Night is named after St Walburga, a nun who became a saint in the 700’s. But the tradition has older roots than that, dating back maybe even a thousand years. People used to light huge bonfires at the end of winter/beginning or spring. The reason was maybe just to scare off predators like wolves before the cattle was released after the winter. But it was also believed that witches, spirits and other supernatural creatures were out at this time of year, and the bonfires could also have been a could have been a way to scare them off – a little like a spring halloween. With time, the pagan festival and the Christian celebration, being held on the same day, were then mixed up.
.jpg)
Over the years more rituals have been added to the bonfire. Nowadays, beside the bonfire, the most important ingredient for Valborg is the singing of traditional songs of Spring. At every bonfire there is a choir “singing the spring in”, with songs about the last day of winter, the spring and summer that are coming and welcoming the beautiful month of May. In order to quite get it, you might need to have experienced a Swedish winter, with it’s long dark months. When the light and long days come back, there’s a general feeling of exhilaration. The songs were mostly spread by student’s Spring celebrations some hundred years ago. The strongest and most traditional Spring festivities are also found in the old university cities, where both undergraduates, graduates and alumni gather at events that last most of the day from early morning to late night on April 30.
So do come to the Swedish School on April 30 to celebrate Valborg, to see the bonfire, listen (or participate in!) the choir and have some Swedish food!
//
