Welcome Spring!

April 30, Walpurgis Eve or Valborg, is a national holiday celebrated in the traditional Swedish way with singing and a speech welcoming spring. As we did last year we went to Skansen to celebrate.

What I learned from last year...

• Walpurgis Eve is always cold, windy and usually wet by the end of the evening
• I should not put the winter gear away until after April 30
• The evening starts at 8pm with the formal portion, operatic singing and speech
• The bonfire is lit at dusk, around 9pm, the crowd starts to move into groups around the fire - my favorite and the casual part of the evening, choir singing, fire raging, kids running around playing checking in with parents here and there
• It's a wonderful tradition fully embraced by everyone, outside of Skansen, neighborhoods around Stockholm and across Sweden hold their own bonfires with singing
• It's also the Swedish King's birthday

running for the tram

Audra, Sofia, Audra's friends - Eva and Kaat

last year this windmill caught fire... it was quickly extinguished

 

 

Swedish folk group - Nordman

Walpurgis Eve is followed by May 1, Swedish Labor Day.