Why do we celebrate Walpurgis Night? – A celebration with fire, spring and ancient roots

On April 30, people gather around crackling bonfires all over Sweden. We sing in the spring with choral singing, give speeches, and enjoy the warmth after a long winter. But why do we actually celebrate Walpurgis Night? And where does the name come from?

The Walpurgis Night celebration has its roots in both pagan tradition and Christian saint worship. The name "Walpurgis" comes from the medieval saint Walpurga (in Latin Valpurgia, hence the Italian word), an English abbess who missioned in Germany during the 8th century. She was canonized on May 1, 870, and her memorial day came to be celebrated the night before – i.e. April 30.

Saint Walpurga was said to protect against diseases, witchcraft and evil spirits, and that is why fires were lit in her honor – as a protection against the dark and dangerous. Eventually, this coincided with older spring festivals and fire celebrations in the pre-Christian Nordic countries.

Even before Christianity, fire had a strong symbolism in the spring festivals. People burned away the old, awakened the earth and scared away predators and supernatural beings. Over time, the Walpurgis Night bonfires became a popular tradition, which also marked that the livestock would be released and summer was on its way.

In the 19th century, the students seized on the tradition – song, torchlight processions and spring speeches spread from the university towns and became the Walpurgis Night we know today.

Walpurgis Night is not only celebrated in Sweden. In Finland, they also celebrate Vappen, with a carnival atmosphere, student caps and picnics. In Estonia, the festival is called Volbriöö, and there it is more like a witch's night with masks and laughter. In Germany, the tradition lives on as Walpurgisnacht, especially in the Harz Mountains, where witches are said to gather on Blåkulla (Brocken). Here there is dancing, masks and rituals that are more reminiscent of Halloween than spring.

In these countries, the memory of Walpurgia thus lives on – but in different ways.

Do you want to join a walk in the sign of spring and folk tradition? Keep an eye out for my upcoming city walks around Walpurgis Night, where together we discover old rites, new stories and secret places in Stockholm. Read more at dengronaguiden.se

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