Sunday, 02 May 2010

Welcoming the spring with Valborg

by Marika Tornberg, May 2010

Lots of people welcomed the Swedish spring with songs, a speech and nice food when Valborg (Walpurgis Night) was celebrated on the 30th of April at the Swedish School. The yearly bonfire was a success among both children and adults.

Typical Swedish songs of the spring were performed by the Swedish Choir of Lusaka. The celebration ended with a taste of the famous Swedish Princess Cake.

Valborg (Walpurgis Night) is one of the most important Swedish traditions and the celebration is nowadays to mark that the long winter days are over and that the sun of the beautiful spring is here.

But there could also be other reasons for this celebration. People used to light huge bonfires at the end of winter/beginning or spring to scare off predators like wolves before the cattle was released after the winter.

It was also believed that witches, spirits and other supernatural creatures were out at this time of year, and the bonfires could scare them off.

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