Walpurgisnacht ("Walpurgis Night" or "the night of Walpurga/Walburga") is a traditional holiday celebrated on the 30th of April in both central and northern Europe.
In Germany the holiday is celebrated by dressing in costumes, playing pranks on people, and creating loud noises meant to keep evil at bay. Many people also hang blessed sprigs of foliage from houses and barns to ward off evil spirits, or they leave pieces of bread spread with butter and honey, called ankenschnitt, as offerings for phantom hounds.
In Sweden typical holiday activities include the singing of traditional spring folk songs and the lighting of bonfires.
In Finland Walpurgis Night and May Day are effectively merged into a single celebration that is usually referred to as Vappu and that is among the country’s most important holidays.
The origins of the holiday date back to pagan celebrations of fertility rites and the coming of spring. After the Norse were Christianised, the pagan celebration became combined with the legend of St. Walpurga, an English-born nun who lived at Heidenheim monastery in Germany and later became the abbess there. Walpurga was believed to have cured the illnesses of many local residents.
Walpurga is traditionally associated with May 1 because of a medieval account of her being canonised upon the translation of her remains from their place of burial to a church circa 870 a.D.
Although it is likely that the date of her canonisation is purely coincidental to the date of the pagan celebrations of spring, people were able to celebrate both events under church law without fear of reprisal.
As requested by legion malacite :)
official music video: • FAUN - Walpurgisnacht ...
Performed by Faun
Album: Luna (2014)
5 окт 2024
