Omnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori. (Vergil)
Walpurgis - Swedish: Valborgsmässoafton or Valborg - is one of the main holidays during the year in Sweden, alongside Christmas and Midsummer holiday, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpurgis_Night.
It is celebrated the night from April 30 to May 1.
One of the main Valborg traditions in Sweden is to light large bonfires, and sing traditional songs of spring, often spread by students. Alcoholic beverages like Absolut, sparkling wine, and Champagne, are used plentifully.
The Walpurgis or Valborg festival is named after Saint Walpurga, in Scandinavia called Valborg, born in Wessex - one of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that preceded the Kingdom of England - in 710.
Saint Walpurga or Valborg died at Heidenheim, 25 February 779, after helping to Christianize Germany, see the comment made by the Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt on his blog, http://carlbildt.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/sa-blev-det-da-valborg/.
Walpurga is the patroness of for example Antwerp here in Belgium, and she is also celebrated in Bavaria.
Saint Walpurga was canonized on 1 May 870 by Pope Adrian II.
The Swedish, Finnish, and German calendar commemorates the translation of her relics on 1 May.
This is the reason why Walpurgis night, Valborgsmässoafton, or Walpurgisnacht, is celebrated on the night of April 30, the eve of Saint Walpurga's feast.
So tonight we celebrate The Night Of Walpurgis or Walpurgisnacht.
Listen to Sandra in "Everlasting Love", http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45PCiyVZnWI&NR=1.
"Venite ad me, omnes, qui laboratis et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos", Matthew 11:28.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment