Berlin. People dress up as witches and dance around a fire. Why actually? And why is the night of May 1st called Walpurgis Night?
- The “Dance into May” is a tradition for many
- But where does this custom come from?
- And why is the night of May 1st called Walpurgis Night?
On the night of May 1st, people in some parts of Germany dress up as witches and dance around a fire, and in some places there are parades. What is the Walpurgis Night Exactly? Where does the custom come from – and who gave the night its name?
Where does the custom of Walpurgis Night come from?
The custom, which is traditionally native to Northern and Central Europe, goes back to pagan spring festivals and a fair amount of superstition. On the evening of April 30th, the witches in the Harz Mountains are said to have ridden to the Brocken to mate with the devil by the fire. On the way, they bewitched everything that came their way. In some areas the day is also known as “Dance into Maycommitted. The Walpurgis cult also has Christian origins.
Also read:“Labor Day”: That’s why May 1st is a holiday
Where does Walpurgis Night get its name?
The last night of April is named after SaintsWalburga, who was abbess in Bavaria in the 8th century. May 1st is the day of the canonization of the people’s saints. She was born in England around 710 and was the founder of the Benedictine monastery in Heidenheim, Franconia.
Women dressed as witches stand in front of a campfire to celebrate the traditional Walpurgis Festival on the night of May 1st. Walpurgis Night is a traditional European festival that takes its name from Saint Walburga. © Urs Flueeler | Unknown
After her death on February 25, 779, Walburga’s remains were taken to Eichstätt in Bavaria. Every year, a liquid similar to oil is said to flow from the stone slab on which her relics rest – Walburgis oil, which is said to help against all mental and physical suffering and is sold to the faithful in small bottles.
Read here:Unlucky day Friday the 13th – where superstition comes from
How is Walpurgis Night celebrated?
Especially in resin the wild night is celebrated – and has been for centuries. To the Walpurgis celebrations Tens of thousands of visitors are expected in the Harz on the night of May 1st. The biggest celebrations in Saxony-Anhalt take place in Thale and Schierke. In addition to Bad Grund, the Lower Saxony strongholds also include Braunlage, Hahnenklee and Wolfshagen.
Flying according to old folk beliefs Witches on their broomsticks from the Hexentanzplatz in Thale (Saxony-Anhalt) to the nearby Brocken (Blocksberg) to party wildly with the devil.
The “Night of Nights” in the Harz takes place every year on April 30th. celebrated. People dress up as witches on Walpurgis Night. © dpa | Swen gatekeeper
On the Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz, there was a year 1896 the first organized for tourists Walpurgis celebration. From 1899, guests could take the Brockenbahn up the mountain. But just two years later, the owner of the Brocken at the time, the Prince of Stolberg-Wernigerode, put an end to the spectacle by decree. Rock formations on the Brocken still bear the names “Witches’ Altar” and “Devil’s Pulpit” to this day.