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A scene in Goethe's Faust Part One is called "Walpurgisnacht," and one in Faust Part Two is called "Classical Walpurgisnacht." The last chapter of book five in Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain is also called "Walpurgisnacht." In Edward Albee's 1962 play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Act Two is entitled "Walpurgisnacht."
From Bram Stoker's short story, Dracula's Guest, an Englishman (whose name is never mentioned) is on a visit to Munich before leaving for Transylvania. It is Walpurgis Night, and in spite of the hotelier's warning not to be late coming back, the young man later leaves his carriage and wanders toward the direction of an abandoned "unholy" village. As the carriage departs with the frightened and superstitious driver, a tall and thin stranger scares the horses at the crest of a hill.
In some parts of northern coastal regions of Germany, the custom of lighting huge fires is still kept alive to celebrate the coming of May, while most parts of Germany have a derived Christianized custom around Easter called "Easter fires" (Osterfeuer).
In rural parts of southern Germany, it is part of popular youth culture to play pranks such as tampering with neighbours' gardens, hiding possessions, or spraying graffiti on private property.
In Berlin, traditional leftist May Day riots usually start at Walpurgis Night in the Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg. There is a similar tradition in the Schanzenviertel district of Hamburg, though in both cases, the situation has significantly calmed down in the past few years.
Move over Halloween, it’s nearly time for Walpurgisnacht, Germany’s super-spooky night of the witches! For all those wondering, who on earth was Saint Walpurga, and what’s the deal with all the pot banging, we take a look at the history of this quirky German celebration.
Modern-day Walpurgisnacht in Germany
Nowadays, Germans celebrate this holiday as a second Halloween by dressing up in costumes, making loud noises and playing pranks on each other. Some traditions from the medieval period still remain, such as hanging sprigs of greenery and leaving out Ankenschnitt for the hounds.
There are also some new traditions, including the lighting of fireworks and singing of folk songs. The old custom of lighting fires to get rid of evil spirits has morphed into new customs such as the famous Tanz in den Mai (dance into May) - an enormous bonfire, occasionally containing a wooden “witch”, which is lit on April 30.
When the flames have subsided, the corn jump takes place, which sees lovers jump over the fire together. The festivities are accompanied by plenty of beer and traditional German food.
Halloween is the best holiday. It should be a national holiday.Move over, boring Halloween!
Walpurgisnacht: The German Night of the Witches explained
We take a look at the history of Walpurgisnacht (Hexennacht), Germany's Night of the Witches festival, asking who was Saint Walpurga and why all the noise?www.iamexpat.de
Obviously you have never heard of anything else.Halloween is the best holiday. It should be a national holiday.
I'm not sure what you basevthat assumption on. I simply gave my own opinion. I'm sure others have their own favorite holidays.Obviously you have never heard of anything else.
So the only thing you know of must be "the best thing."
What a simple picture of the world.
I based it on your posting - what else!I'm not sure what you basevthat assumption on.
Again, that's just an assumption.I based it on your posting - what else!
You are just not open to anything new!
A Brocken spectre (German: Brockengespenst), also called Brocken bow, mountain spectre, or spectre of the Brocken is the magnified (and apparently enormous) shadow of an observer cast upon clouds opposite the Sun's direction. The figure's head is often surrounded by the halo-like rings of coloured light forming a glory, which appears opposite the Sun's direction when uniformly-sized water droplets in clouds refract and backscatter sunlight.
The phenomenon can appear on any misty mountainside, cloud bank, or from an airplane, but the frequent fogs and low-altitude accessibility of the Brocken, a peak in the Harz Mountains in Germany, have created a local legend from which the phenomenon draws its name. The Brocken spectre was observed and described by Johann Silberschlag in 1780, and has since been recorded often in literature about the region.
Beltane is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and is associated with important events in Irish mythology. Also known as Cétshamhain ("first of summer"), it marked the beginning of summer and it was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops and people, and to encourage growth. Special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers. The people and their cattle would walk around or between bonfires, and sometimes leap over the flames or embers. All household fires would be doused and then re-lit from the Beltane bonfire. These gatherings would be accompanied by a feast, and some of the food and drink would be offered to the aos sí. Doors, windows, byres and livestock would be decorated with white or yellow May flowers, perhaps because they evoked fire. In parts of Ireland, people would make a May Bush: typically a thorn bush or branch decorated with flowers, ribbons, bright shells and rushlights. Holy wells were also visited, while Beltane dew was thought to bring beauty and maintain youthfulness. Many of these customs were part of May Day or Midsummer festivals in parts of Great Britain and Europe.
Beltane celebrations had largely died out by the mid-20th century, although some of its customs continued and in some places it has been revived as a cultural event. Since the late 20th century, Celtic neopagans and Wiccans have observed Beltane or a related festival as a religious holiday.
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