Pagan holidays - Walpurgis Night

Walpurgis Night is celebrated on April 30 in Scandinavia, Central and Northern Europe This ancient festival comes from ancient pagan customs and superstitions, when it was believed that the arrival of spring warmth, the fertility of the land and the birth rate of livestock depended on rituals that helped ward off all evil spirits But the holiday got its name from a completely different source In the 8th century In Germany, the monastery of Heidenheim was built, the abbess of which was a nun named Walburga She was an educated woman, knew several languages, wrote books, treated people, struggled with ignorance and superstition all her life, and after her death she was canonized on May 1, 799 Since the celebration of the holiness of Walburga and the ritual rites of the pagans coincided in time, a mixture occurred over many years pagan and Catholic traditions, and the night of April 30 began to be called Walpurgis And although the nun’s holiness was not in doubt, on some frescoes she was depicted with pagan attributes, hinting that she, too, was afraid of meeting with evil spirits According to ancient beliefs, on the night from April 30 to May 1, spring awakens, and all evil spirits gather for the Sabbath to arrange wild dances and unbridled orgies In the old days, it was believed that this is the time when the line with the other world is erased, and the forces of evil walk the earth, trying to harm people as much as possible Therefore, measures were taken to protect the house and livestock from witchcraft: blessed bells were hung on the cows’ necks, and sprigs of rowan, hawthorn or juniper were hung on the barn and poultry house Doors were tightly locked and sealed with three crosses, and houses were decorated with palm leaves and sprinkled with holy water To ward off evil witches, people believed that the best way was to make as much noise as possible On Walpurgis Night they burned huge bonfires, beat bells, beat drums, hit the ground with whips, and a little later they began to use technological advances - they fired firearms into the air Particularly dark days came in the Middle Ages, during the period of witch hunts, when thousands of innocent people suspected of witchcraft were burned at the stake When the witch hunt subsided, the importance of Walpurgis Night waned, but in 1808 J Goette published his immortal Faust, and the holiday became popular again The program for celebrating the most mysterious night has not changed over the years: ancient games, round dances, singing and dancing, performances by student choirs, traditional bonfires and fireworks In many countries, this night is intended for fun mischief and practical jokes: mummers walk through the streets, pretending to be evil spirits and, scaring passers-by, firecrackers are set off, door handles are smeared with toothpaste, shoe laces are stolen, etc A straw effigy is burned at the stake - a symbol of all troubles and misfortunes, and old things and worn clothes are thrown into the fire to get rid of troubles and problems