#Saint Walpurga's Eve

[zip-sketchbook]

Sketch zur Walpurgis-Nacht!

[travsd]

Of Walpurgisnacht and Witches!

Gut Walpurgisnacht! I was shocked — shocked! — to discover that I have never even mentioned this holiday on this blog, despite having gotten AWFULLY close, by writing about May Day, which it anticipates, and many European Pagan/Christian hybrid holidays. If you believe you’ve never heard of it before, I hope you have at least a vague sense that you’ve come across the word? It features…

[ronk]

Mischief Night

Tonight is Mischief Night in the United States, Canada, and the U.K. keep the pranks harmless, kids.

Tonight is Mischief Night, an informal holiday celebrated by children and teenagers in the United States, Canada, and the U.K. It’s celebrated on the night before Halloween (usually October 30). On this night, people are supposed to play harmless pranks on their neighbors or family members. I am not a fan of pranks, but the common pranks include egging houses or toilet-papering trees. A…

[greenwitchcrafts]

April 2024 witch guide

Full moon: April 23rd

New moon: April 8th

Solar eclipse: April 8th

Sabbats: None

April Pink Moon

Known as: Breaking Ice Moon, Budding Moon of Plants & shrubs, Budding Tree Moon, Eastermonath, Frog Moon, Green Grass Moon, Growing Moon, Hare Moon, Moon of the Red Grass appearing, Moon When Geese Lay Egss, Moon When thd Ducks Come Back, Ostarmanoth, Planters Moon, Seed Moon, Sucker Moon & Wind Moon

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Aries & Taurus

Nature spirits: Plant Faeries

Deities: Anahita, Bast, Ceres, Cernunnos, Hathor, Herne, Ishtar, Kali, Tawaret & Venus

Animals: Bear & wolf

Birds:  Hawk & magpie

Trees: Bay, forsythia, hazel, lilac, pine & willow

Herbs:  Basil, chives, dandelion, dill, dogwood, dragon's blood, fennel, geranium, milkweed & thistle

Flowers: Daisy & sweetpea

Scents: Bay, bergamot, patchouli & pine

Stones: Angelite, beryl, diamond, garnet, malachite, quartz, ruby, sapphire, sard, selenite & zircon

Colors: Blue, brown, crimson, gold & green

Energy: Authority, balance, beginnings, change, fertility, growth, leadership, opportunities, overcoming obstacles, personal skill development, re-birth, self-evaluation, self-reliance, spirituality, temper control & willpower

April’s full Moon often corresponded with the early springtime blooms of a certain wildflower native to eastern North America: Phlox subulata—commonly called creeping phlox or moss phlox—which also went by the name “moss pink.” Thanks to this seasonal association, this full Moon came to be called the “Pink” Moon.

Other celebrations:

• Walpurgis Night - April 30th

Also known as: May Eve

The origins of the holiday date back to pagan celebrations of fertility rites & the coming of spring. After the Norse were Christianized, the pagan celebration became combined with the legend of St. Walburga, an English-born nun who lived at Heidenheim monastery in Germany & later became the abbess there. Saint Walpurga was hailed by the Christians of Germany for battling "pest, rabies, & whooping cough as well as against witchcraft". Christians prayed to God through the intercession of Saint Walpurga in order to protect themselves from witchcraft, as Saint Walpurga was successful in converting the local populace to Christianity. Although it is likely that the date of her canonization is purely coincidental to the date of the pagan celebrations of spring, people were able to celebrate both events under church law without fear of reprisal.

Walpurgis Night is still a traditional holiday celebrated on April 30th in northern Europe & Scandinavia. In Sweden typical holiday activities include the singing of traditional spring folk songs & the lighting of bonfires. In Germany the holiday is celebrated by dressing in costumes, playing pranks on people & creating loud noises meant to keep evil at bay. Many people also hang blessed sprigs of foliage from houses & barns to ward off evil spirits, or they leave pieces of bread spread with butter & honey, called ankenschnitt, as offerings for phantom hounds.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[futurequibblerjournalist]

The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black names explained:

I’ve gotten a few asks about my thoughts on the Black family and specifically their names and the middle names I’ve assigned them so I figured I’d make a post and explain them all, along with how I see the meanings of their names translating to their personalities! I was originally going to do the Black sisters and brothers in this one too but it just got too long so you guys are getting Riddle era Black family until I return with the second installment vjnbjgnbj

tw: brief mention of rape in Lucretia's section

Walburga Irma Black:

Unlike most of her family members, Walburga is not named after a star. Her first name is an alternative spelling of Walpurga which comes from Saint Walpurga, a nun born in 710. Saint Walpurga was also given an annual feast day called Saint Walpurgis Night or Saint Walpurgis Eve. Ironically one of the things she was hailed for was battling witchcraft. She was said to repel witches and was known as a healer of illnesses and one of her only talents not fully related to her religion is noted to be very detailed embroidery. I like to pull things from things like this, especially when it comes to characters we know very little about, so what this tells me about Walburga is that she likely did not have a lot of (female) friends which fits with the fact that I generally think the Black family kept to themselves. She was a skilled healer, which is very interesting considering how she’s usually portrayed as a woman who ruins so much. Is she aware of this aspect of her personality and that’s why she decided to learn so much about healing? And at last, she’s talented at embroidery. This yet again fits with another headcanon of mine that the finer families in pureblood society showed their status through things such as embroidery or homemade lace, to show that the women in the family were so well taken care of that they could focus on nothing but raising a family and making said family look good. I would imagine Walburga was taught by her mother.

Speaking of her mother, Walburga gets her middle name from her mother, Irma Black (born Crabbe) which means she is once again not given a name with a connection to the stars. Irma means complete; entire and is derived from the Old High German word ‘irmin’ meaning ‘world’. One could argue that while Walburga does not have a star specific name she is named in a way that could be interpreted as someone’s whole world.

Alphard Pollux Black:

Alphard is named after the star of the same name, the brightest star in the constellation Hydra. Alphard comes from the Arabic al-fard which, if Wikipedia is to trust lol, means “the individual”. The star is also known both as “the backbone of the Serpent” and “the heart of the Serpent”. From this I like to pull a bit of personality. Alphard has a clear connection to his family, one with a noticeable connection to serpent imagery through the Black family’s consistent history of being sorted into Slytherin. He’s an individual, he’s got the backbone to stand out yet still in a way more acceptable to the family and he’s got the heart to still show love and kindness towards Sirius. I think, and I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion, that Alphard values his family a whole lot. Which is ironic, because in part that’s what gets him blasted off of the family tapestry. Another name for this star is Soheil Solitarius, which translates to the bright solitary one. I interpret this to think he’s got some sort of loneliness to him, even within a family with so many people. That is what being too much of an individual in the Black family gets you. You can only push it too much before you become an outsider and I think Alphard is living right on the cusp.

Just like Alphard, Pollux is yet another star that is the brightest in its constellation, this time it’s the Gemini constellation. Just like how Walburga got her middle name from her mother, Alphard got his from his father. The name Pollux, albeit also the name of a star comes from the twins Castor and Pollux in both Greek and Roman mythology.

As a fun little extra thing, I think Alphard’s fun older guy that he seduces whenever he feels like it (Arvid Thicket) calls him Hydrae and occasionally he calls him Hydra’s Heart because he’s a sap lol.

Cygnus Phineas Black:

Cygnus was the third Cygnus in the family, being named after his paternal grandfather. It's suspected that Cygnus I was likely Cygnus's great-great-grandfather which would be the father of the second man he's named after, former Hogwarts headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black. Cygnus, the constellation derives its name from the Greek word for swan. Looking at the most common symbolism associated with swans, we can assume Cygnus has a certain amount of wisdom to him, which also works perfectly with the fact that he was named after a former headmaster at a respected institution.

Speaking of said former headmaster, Cygnus got his middle name from Phineas Nigellus Black, the most disliked headmaster of Hogwarts, at least believing the statement from Cygnus nephew, Sirius Black. The name Phineas does not come from a star but instead it is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “the mouth of a snake”/“serpent’s mouth”. From this we can pull that Cygnus not only shares the typical views of his family, but looking at a similar saying “having a serpent’s tongue” which means having a tendency to speak maliciously, we can assume that Cygnus might have been either particularly opinionated, a tendency to come off as harsh or negative or both. I would also like to note that Cygnus is specifically named after Phineas Nigellus and not Phineas Nigellus’s son of the same name (as he was disowned for supporting muggle rights).

Lucretia Elladora Black:

Upon first glance, one might think Lucretia is another Black not named after a star. That would technically be correct, though she is named after an asteroid known as 281 Lucretia, an asteroid belonging to the Flora family in the Main Belt. Lucretia also shares her first name with a noblewoman from Ancient Rome. Lucretia was raped by Sextus Tarquinius and subsequently committed suicide after confessing about the rape to her father and husband. It's said that this act was the/one of the first stepping stones in the rebellion that made the Roman government transition from a kingdom to a republic. While I won't go into details interpreting the fact that her namesake was raped, we can look into the fact that Lucretia was noted to be exceptionally devoted to her husband. I think this is especially interesting given how the Prewett family is connected to the Weasleys. They likely weren't at the time Lucretia married Ignatius but even if they were she probably walked the line of marrying someone too different from the Black family and yet she was so devoted to Ignatius that to her it hardly mattered.

Lucretia's middle name Elladora comes from Elladora Black, the sister of Phineas Nigellus. Elladora was actually alive when Lucretia was born (she died six years later in 1931) so it wouldn't be far off to assume that the two possibly had some sort of relationship. Elladora is another name not derived from a star or anything similar, though it is speculated on Elladora Black's wiki page that the name comes from Elladora's mother possibly being named Ella and Callidora Black (the character known as Callidora Black is born after Elladora of course, being the daughter of one of Elladora's nephews, but knowing how the Black family liked to name their children after previous relatives it does not seem completely unbelievable that there was a Callidora Black born before Elladora that she could have gotten the second half of her name from). There are two takes on "Ella", that it comes from the Norman form of the Germanic "Alia" which means "other" or "Aella", a Greek name meaning "whirlwind". Either way, looking at Lucretia one could argue that they fit in regard to her marriage to someone who is from a family that is not necessarily the most respected and in later years is very much considered an "other" to the Black family. The second half, "Dora" is derived from the Greek word "doron" and means "gift". It kinda follows a similar pattern to Walburga's middle name. Just like Walburga is "someone's whole world" Lucretia is "gift/a gift". Considering the usual take on the Black family I think this is kind of sweet.

On the opposite end, to talk a bit more about Elladora. She is noted as the Black that introduces decapitating house elves and hanging their heads on plaques when they're no longer useful. I think Lucretia would share a similar sentiment to her namesake and a more aggressive/demanding way of handling the elves does not seem far off.

Orion Regulus Black:

Orion is a constellation known for featuring a number of bright stars. It is also known for being a good star to navigate from. Looking at this I think it fits with Orion being the head of his family but also the head of Black family in general based off of the fact that he and his family were the ones to live and grow up in 12 Grimmauld Place, the ancestral home of the Black family. I’ve always found this very interesting with him being the youngest as well. In ancient Egypt the stars of Orion were regarded as a god and to me this tells me that this man holds himself in high regard, likely above others even his fellow Blacks. Ironically the bible mentions Orion three times, naming it “Kesil” which literally means fool. I think this perhaps speaks more to others perception of him rather than his own. I would suspect that perhaps due to his age there would be circumstances where he wouldn’t be taken as seriously, something that would surely infuriate a man who considers himself godlike. In Greek mythology he is described as unnaturally strong which one could pull from for a physical description though I don’t personally. What I find interesting is that he stood up to Gaia saying he could kill every animal on earth and was thus punished for it by Gaia sending a scorpion (the constellations of Scorpius) after him. He was later revived by Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer. He’s described as a hunter and a skilled one and while the best way I can think this translates to what we know of him in canon, it could be the way he protects his ancestral home with quite skilful magic. The fact that Orion is made up of so many stars, especially bright ones could also symbolise the Black family in general and how many not only came before him but also how tight knit the family is that he is literally made up of them. This could also be a nod to their incest tendencies, especially given how Orion is the only Black we actually know of (other than his wife of course) to marry another relative.

I am personally a big fan of Orion’s middle name being Regulus, no matter if it’s from a cis or trans Regulus standpoint. Either Orion named both his sons after himself which seems entirely on point with a man that likes himself so much, or Regulus looked enough up to his father and valued family naming traditions enough to name himself after the man. Obviously sharing a name with his son there's going to be some overlap when it comes to personality traits that you can pull from it. Regulus means "prince" and/or "little king" in Latin and this is another time where you see Orion with a name that means something of great importance/something that is generally speaking better than someone else. It is also known as "the king", "the great", "the mighty" and "the centre" as well as one of the royal stars in the Persian monarchy. Even if the whole "heart of the lion" does not fit with Orion in the same sense that some might think it fits Regulus, I'd argue that Orion values/possesses/wishes to possess a good amount of the things that a lion traditionally symbolise, such as courage, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valour.

This ended up so much longer than originally planned which is why I'm saving Bellatrix, Andromeda, Narcissa, Sirius and Regulus for another post lol. Hopefully someone enjoys this ramble vjnfjbngjb I've already made multiple people listen to it as it was being made.

This was inspired by an ask I got from @starchildlazaro so I figured I'd tag you since it turned into a post instead of just a normal answer,,,

[george228732]

A little fun fact about my AU here since AU Posting is busy.

You know that in several art pieces, I used Film Tape symbolism? My AU, basically can be interpreted as a theater play, in which the outcome is always a bad ending.

In context, Cosmounse made the script that way, and Fylass wants to rewrite the part of the script that's not written yet, based on countless other scripts he managed to see in back stage (Note, this is not literal, just an interpretation of certain outcomes based on that idea since the AU was partly written with that interpretation in mind, that's why in my fic, the names of the chapters are from other stories or plays).

Which for it, means that Fylass helped in changing the ending, with the help of the others, reason on why some parts of my AU seem to be very fitting in the context of a play. I made jokes about Fylass "Undooming the Doomed narrative" but it's not really that much of a joke, which pretty much implies that if no one had done anything or be made aware of what was happening, my AU would've always ended up in a hypothetical Bad Ending.

Besides the religious take on it that's basically what happened in the Garden of Eden with Fylass being Lucifer, and Adam and Eve being the ones he loves. The Apple is the "Forbidden Knowledge" so in this context is basically The Truth and yet another reason why Fylass' main color is Red.

It kinda goes along with the lines of Fylass hating Magolor! Just that in Magolor's case, He's both Jesus and Judas, but in Fylass' case, God and the Devil are one and the same, since at the end of the day, you can figure out he has both roles. Fylass did bring down the Pardus Clan with him, like how Lucifer brought down Adam and Eve, but also in Popstar he tries to take the role of a messiah figure to save 4 people, also why Crowned Fylass both takes inspiration from the bible and pagan holidays, with the main one being Walpurgisnacht (Witches Night).

Also for more parallels, Walpurgisnacht was a celebration for the person "Saint Walpurga" who seemingly kept the witches away from the masses and healed the sick, not too dissimilar from how Fylass behaves with the Dream Team and Wave Three. And last but not least, it was rumored that Saint Walpurga was a witch herself, and the reason why Fy is a basilisk, which are creatures that are kings of serpents, fire, and usually come from Hell.

Now Niru

Niru, for the ones that don't know, is Void Termina when Kirby was still part of him, being the body that surrounds Void's Soul. He is often associated with Water, but specifically fluids in general, since he's meant to be something that flows as time passes. He gave impurities and some darkness to his creations to truly enforce free will, but overall, he was sad seeing his creations be sad over these things and knowing that if they believe in god, they would be begging for them to cleanse their sorrows, so at one point, he regretted his decision and started to slowly consume those impurities himself, being something like, carry the burden of others upon himself, but eventually this made him lose himself in corruption and became Void Termina.

Before he was sealed though a part that wasn't corrupted by the Darkness was separated from him and became Kirby, while the Darkness that got loose in battle became 0, who can reincarnate constantly thanks to Niru's impurities.

At the end of the AU, both parts reunite, and Kirby swears that he, along with the others will help him carry the burden and cleanse him of his Impurities, something they achieve.

In terms of Motifs, if Fylass' motifs are religious, Niru's are Cosmic.

Normally, when a Star gathers insane amounts of energy, they explode and become supernovas, a thing that parallels Niru but instead of Exploding, he gets consumed by a Black Hole he did himself.

Also the fact that he's based on Owls, being Night Birds, and Lovecraftian Entities, specially Cthulhu, who belong to Cosmic Horror.

He also shares a motif with time and a play along with Fylass and Cosmounse

If Fylass is the Pendulum and the script writer, and Cosmounse is the hands and the Director, Niru is the Hours and the Play itself, or rather, he's the End Roll.

Also he's based on The Happy Prince

[be-ly]

Hey so I found out something interesting

After finishing Little Goody Two Shoes was reading about german mythology, mysticism, legends and etc, then I came across something that caught my attention.

HEAVY SPOILERS FOR LITTLE GOODY TWO-SHOES!!

In 1932, a paranormal investigator who was known for debunking fraudulent spiritualist attempted a ritual at the top of Brocken, a peak at Germany, in Walpurgisnacht, also known as the celebration of Saint Walpurga's Eve and the night of the Witches.

The ritual was called "Bloksberg Tryst" which was made for turning a goat into a human young boy, featured in a grimoire called High German Black Book.

Does it sounds familiar? In Little Goody Two Shoes, at the night of the festival of Walpurga, there is also a goat that transforms into a young boy. Ozzy!

I don't know if the devs made it on purpose or not, but it's very interesting nonetheless.

[thenightling]

👻🎃Happy Walpurgisnacht / Beltane Eve!🎃👻

Happy Walpurgisnacht / Beltane Eve!

Though April 30th is a Christian feast day for Saint Walpurga (who supposedly converted a bunch of Pagans in Germany and battled witchcraft) the date is (according to superstition) a night that fae, goblins, witches, ghosts, and other supernatural entities wander the Earth and meet up at hidden festivals and carnivals to exchange potions and spells and to dance and celebrate.

Essentially it's Spring Halloween.

It is the half-way point to Halloween.

It is also the Eve of Beltane AKA May Day, which is the half-way point of the Gaelic (Celtic) and Wiccan calendar. It's celebrated as the half-way point of the year by many (but not all) Neo Pagans. The year ending at Samhain (Sow-in) (what we call Halloween).

In Ancient Greece this was the time of year the start of summer was celebrated. The Summer Solstice is "Midsummer" as referenced in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Ancient Greeks only measured two seasons. Summer and Winter before Spring and autumn were added. So the Summer Soltice, which we consider the start of summer, is actually, for the Ancient Greeks mid-summer.

So the veil between worlds has thinned, as it does on Samhain. Spirits and supernatural entities are said to wander the Earth tonight. And we are at the half-way point through the Gaelic / Wiccan and Ancient Greek calendar.

Some Neo Pagans in the Southern hemisphere celebrate Samhain now and Beltane when Halloween rolls around.

Goethe's Faust features two Walpurgisnacht festivals in what may be the realm of faerie and Bram Stoker's short story (removed chapter from Dracula) Dracula's Guest is set at Walpurgisnacht. So yeah, look out for vampires too while you're protecting yourself against goblins, fae, witches, demons, and ghosts. :-P

[mamaangiwine]

Walpurgis/Hexxen:

A Holiday of Duality.

This year was the first year I have ever celebrated Walpurgis/Hexxen.

We had a get together with close friends.

A small fire.

The night before had been spent venerating a cardboard likeness I made of St. Walpurga; offerings of fruit and rose petals were made. We approached her with prayers for protection, and petitioned her for prosperity.

The next night, we burned her.

I feel this holiday occupies the opposite side of my own personal "Wheel of the Year" from Hallows-Eve. Where that holiday is meant for reflection and reverence of the dead- this one is an affirmation of life and a celebration of those who are living.

The word "witch" has been used to persecute many people; Jewish, Islamic, LGBTQ, as well as PoC, and so I feel it is now more important than ever to affirm our exisistence. Therefore, the "witches" will get their justice and burn the symbol of a world that wishes for their destruction. In doing so we free St. Walpurga from her physical representation, hoping that she will carry our prayers with her.

When we burned the effigy the wind kicked up. We threw the offerings in, reducing orange peels, strawberries and flowers to ash. We then presented a rock, and asked the Freed Saint if she would be good enough to assign a local spirit as our protector and guardian.

The wind kicked up again.

Howled, as the sky went gray.

The spirit attached itself to the rock, and it is now our happy responsibility to honor and praise it as a sign of gratitude for its pressence in our lives.

[legitbabynames]

Walburg, Walburga, Walpurga

Painting by the Master of Meßkirch Origin: Anglo-Saxon Meaning: “powerful fortress.” Gender: feminine The name was born by an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon female saint who did missionary work in Germany. It is composed of the Anglo-Saxon element, weald (power) and burg (fortress). Her feast day was celebrated on May 1st and the day before is called Walpurgisnacht (St. Walpurgis’ Eve). In…

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.25

Holidays

Big Bang Theory Day

Choiseul Province Day (Solomon Islands)

Colt Revolver Day

Commedia dell’Arte Day

Coronado Day (Mexico)

Cuddle Day

Dag van de Revolutie (Day of Liberation and Innovation; Suriname)

Dance of the Secret Places

Deinonychus Day

DNA Discovery Day

Februaristaking (Netherlands)

George Harrison Day

Gray Day (Scotland)

High Five Day

Imam Ali Day (Iran)

International Cochlear Implant Day

Ireland Reads Day (Ireland)

Meher Baba Day

Memorial Day for the Victims of the Communist Dictatorships (Hungary)

National Billy Day

National Day (Kuwait)

National Don't Utter a Word Day

National Jessica Day

National Kathy Day

National Nicholas Day

Peace Memorial Holiday (Taiwan)

People Power Day (Anniversary of EDSA Revolution; Philippines)

Pistol Patent Day

Revolution Day (Suriname)

Russian Warship GFY Day

Quiet Day

Sister Wendy Day

Soviet Occupation Day (Georgia)

Time of the Old Woman begins (until March 4)

Tristan da Cunha (a.k.a. Queen’s Day, Saint Helena)

World Bookmark Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Day

Let's All Eat Right Day

National Chocolate-Covered Nuts Day

National Clam Chowder Day

Tastykake Day

4th & Last Saturday in February

Clam Chowder Cook-Off (Santa Cruz, CA) [Last Saturday & Sunday]

International Sword Swallowers Day [Last Saturday]

International Tongue Twister Contest Day [Last Saturday]

National Day of Terere (Paraguay) [Last Saturday]

National Library Open Day (UK) [Last Saturday]

National Pretty Brown Girl Day [4th Saturday]

National TRiO Day [4th Saturday]

Open That Bottle Night [Last Saturday]

Independence Days

Kuwait (from UK, 1961)

Pigeon Island (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Æthelberht of Kent (1st Christian Anglo-Saxon King) [current date]

Burke Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Caesarius, Physician of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás (Positivist; Blessed)

Day of Mut (Mother Goddess; Ancient Egypt)

Feast of the Blessed Regina Marriam of Vattalil (India)

Feast of the Stinky Butts

Festival of Ptah (Ancient Egypt)

Gerland of Agrigento (Christian; Saint)

Hare Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Hermie (Muppetism)

John Roberts, writer and missionary (Christian; Saint)

Kitano Baika-sai (Plum Blossom Festival; Kyoto, Japan; Shinto)

Maria Adeodata Pisani (Positivist; Blessed)

Media Hiems (Pagan)

Octopus Enjoyment Day (Pastafarian)

Saturday of Souls, Second (Eastern Orthodox) [57 Days before Easter]

Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Victornius and six companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Virgil (Positivist; Saint)

Walpurga (Christian; Saint; she was canonised on 5.1 c. 870 and Walpurgis Night is celebrated 4.30) [Crops]

Wendy Beckett (Christian; Sister) [Art]

Wenchang Wang Day (Chinese God of Literature)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [9 of 53]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Belle Epoque (Film; 1994)

Boat Builders (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

The Bourne Ultimatum, by Robert Ludlum (Novel; 1990)

The Carnival of the Animals, by Camille Saint-Saëns (Musical Suite; 1922)

Henry IV, Part 1, by William Shakespeare (Play; 1598)

The Lady Eve (Film; 1941)

Little Earthquakes, by Tori Amos (Album; 1992)

Modern Times (Film; 1936)

Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, by TLC (Album; 1992)

The Passion of the Christ (Film; 2004)

Please Please Me, by The Beatles (US Song; 1963)

Reindeer Games (Film; 2000)

Rubber Duckie, sung by Ernie (Song; 1970)

Slap Shot (Film; 1977)

Songs from the Big Chair, by Tears for Fears (Album; 1985)

Ten Summoner’s Tales, by Sting (Album; 1993)

That’ll Be the Day, recorded by Buddy Holly (Song; 1957)

Yes Minister (UK TV Series; 1980)

Your Show of Shows (TV Series; 1950)

Today’s Name Days

Walburga (Austria)

Berislav, Hrvoje, Nestorije (Croatia)

Liliana (Czech Republic)

Victorinus (Denmark)

Tormi, Tuule, Tuuli, Tuulike (Estonia)

Tuija, Tuire, Vanessa (Finland)

Roméo (France)

Edeltraud, Walburga (Germany)

Riginos, Tarasios, Tarsi (Greece)

Mátyás (Hungary)

Cesario, Costanza, Vittorino (Italy)

Alma, Grants, Zalga (Latvia)

Margiris, Rasa, Regimantas, Viktoras (Lithuania)

Viktor, Viktoria (Norway)

Bolebor, Cezary, Konstancjusz, Maciej, Małgorzata, Modest, Nicefor (Poland)

Tarasie (Romania)

Frederik (Slovakia)

Donato, Valerio (Spain)

Sigvard, Sivert (Sweden)

Artema, Artemis, Welden, Weldon (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 56 of 2023; 309 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 8 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Nuin (Ash) [Day 7 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Yi-Mao), Day 6 (Jia-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 4 Adar 5783

Islamic: 4 Sha’ban 1444

J Cal: 26 Xin; Fiveday [26 of 30]

Julian: 12 February 2023

Moon: 34%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 28 Homer (2nd Month) [Virgil]

Runic Half Month: Tyr (Cosmic Pillar) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 67 of 90)

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 6 of 29)

[brookston]

Holidays 2.25

Holidays

Big Bang Theory Day

Choiseul Province Day (Solomon Islands)

Colt Revolver Day

Commedia dell’Arte Day

Coronado Day (Mexico)

Cuddle Day

Dag van de Revolutie (Day of Liberation and Innovation; Suriname)

Dance of the Secret Places

Deinonychus Day

DNA Discovery Day

Februaristaking (Netherlands)

George Harrison Day

Gray Day (Scotland)

High Five Day

Imam Ali Day (Iran)

International Cochlear Implant Day

Ireland Reads Day (Ireland)

Meher Baba Day

Memorial Day for the Victims of the Communist Dictatorships (Hungary)

National Billy Day

National Day (Kuwait)

National Don't Utter a Word Day

National Jessica Day

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National Nicholas Day

Peace Memorial Holiday (Taiwan)

People Power Day (Anniversary of EDSA Revolution; Philippines)

Pistol Patent Day

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Russian Warship GFY Day

Quiet Day

Sister Wendy Day

Soviet Occupation Day (Georgia)

Time of the Old Woman begins (until March 4)

Tristan da Cunha (a.k.a. Queen’s Day, Saint Helena)

World Bookmark Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Day

Let's All Eat Right Day

National Chocolate-Covered Nuts Day

National Clam Chowder Day

Tastykake Day

4th & Last Saturday in February

Clam Chowder Cook-Off (Santa Cruz, CA) [Last Saturday & Sunday]

International Sword Swallowers Day [Last Saturday]

International Tongue Twister Contest Day [Last Saturday]

National Day of Terere (Paraguay) [Last Saturday]

National Library Open Day (UK) [Last Saturday]

National Pretty Brown Girl Day [4th Saturday]

National TRiO Day [4th Saturday]

Open That Bottle Night [Last Saturday]

Independence Days

Kuwait (from UK, 1961)

Pigeon Island (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Æthelberht of Kent (1st Christian Anglo-Saxon King) [current date]

Burke Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Caesarius, Physician of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás (Positivist; Blessed)

Day of Mut (Mother Goddess; Ancient Egypt)

Feast of the Blessed Regina Marriam of Vattalil (India)

Feast of the Stinky Butts

Festival of Ptah (Ancient Egypt)

Gerland of Agrigento (Christian; Saint)

Hare Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Hermie (Muppetism)

John Roberts, writer and missionary (Christian; Saint)

Kitano Baika-sai (Plum Blossom Festival; Kyoto, Japan; Shinto)

Maria Adeodata Pisani (Positivist; Blessed)

Media Hiems (Pagan)

Octopus Enjoyment Day (Pastafarian)

Saturday of Souls, Second (Eastern Orthodox) [57 Days before Easter]

Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Victornius and six companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Virgil (Positivist; Saint)

Walpurga (Christian; Saint; she was canonised on 5.1 c. 870 and Walpurgis Night is celebrated 4.30) [Crops]

Wendy Beckett (Christian; Sister) [Art]

Wenchang Wang Day (Chinese God of Literature)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [9 of 53]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Belle Epoque (Film; 1994)

Boat Builders (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

The Bourne Ultimatum, by Robert Ludlum (Novel; 1990)

The Carnival of the Animals, by Camille Saint-Saëns (Musical Suite; 1922)

Henry IV, Part 1, by William Shakespeare (Play; 1598)

The Lady Eve (Film; 1941)

Little Earthquakes, by Tori Amos (Album; 1992)

Modern Times (Film; 1936)

Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, by TLC (Album; 1992)

The Passion of the Christ (Film; 2004)

Please Please Me, by The Beatles (US Song; 1963)

Reindeer Games (Film; 2000)

Rubber Duckie, sung by Ernie (Song; 1970)

Slap Shot (Film; 1977)

Songs from the Big Chair, by Tears for Fears (Album; 1985)

Ten Summoner’s Tales, by Sting (Album; 1993)

That’ll Be the Day, recorded by Buddy Holly (Song; 1957)

Yes Minister (UK TV Series; 1980)

Your Show of Shows (TV Series; 1950)

Today’s Name Days

Walburga (Austria)

Berislav, Hrvoje, Nestorije (Croatia)

Liliana (Czech Republic)

Victorinus (Denmark)

Tormi, Tuule, Tuuli, Tuulike (Estonia)

Tuija, Tuire, Vanessa (Finland)

Roméo (France)

Edeltraud, Walburga (Germany)

Riginos, Tarasios, Tarsi (Greece)

Mátyás (Hungary)

Cesario, Costanza, Vittorino (Italy)

Alma, Grants, Zalga (Latvia)

Margiris, Rasa, Regimantas, Viktoras (Lithuania)

Viktor, Viktoria (Norway)

Bolebor, Cezary, Konstancjusz, Maciej, Małgorzata, Modest, Nicefor (Poland)

Tarasie (Romania)

Frederik (Slovakia)

Donato, Valerio (Spain)

Sigvard, Sivert (Sweden)

Artema, Artemis, Welden, Weldon (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 56 of 2023; 309 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 8 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Nuin (Ash) [Day 7 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Yi-Mao), Day 6 (Jia-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 4 Adar 5783

Islamic: 4 Sha’ban 1444

J Cal: 26 Xin; Fiveday [26 of 30]

Julian: 12 February 2023

Moon: 34%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 28 Homer (2nd Month) [Virgil]

Runic Half Month: Tyr (Cosmic Pillar) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 67 of 90)

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 6 of 29)

[vavavadoom]

Walpurgis Night, an abbreviation of Saint Walpurgis Night, also known as Saint Walpurga's Eve, is the eve of the Christian feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess in Francia, and is celebrated on the night of 30 April and the day of 1 May.

By artoflucas

Walpurgis Night, aka April 30th, is canonically Dr Doom's birthday and probably a mandatory national holiday in Latveria 🫡

[aperiodofhistory]

Walpurgis night

When witches meet

near the mountain creek,

the spirits dance to

replace winter with spring.

The bonfires light,

on the top of the hills.

For some are wary

of the witches es frills.

[innervoiceartblog]

Jaanika Talts Artist

Walpurgis Night!

In Estonia, Volbriöö is celebrated throughout the night of 30 April and into the early hours of 1 May, where 1 May is a public holiday called "Spring Day" (Kevadpüha). Volbriöö is an important and widespread celebration of the arrival of spring in the country. Influenced by German culture, the night originally stood for the gathering and meeting of witches. Modern people still dress up as witches to wander the streets in a carnival-like mood. The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after the English missionary Saint Walpurga (ca. 710–777/9). As Walpurga was canonized on 1 May (ca. 870), she became associated with May Day, especially in the Finnish and Swedish calendars. The eve of May Day, traditionally celebrated with dancing, came to be known as Walpurgisnacht ("Walpurga's night"). The 17th century German tradition of a meeting of sorcerers and witches on May Day is influenced by the descriptions of Witches' Sabbaths in 15th and 16th century literature.

[gaelicwordofthesometimes]

*cracking my Gaelic knuckles*

Ortha nan Gàidheal, also known as The Carmina Gadelica, is a 19th century collection of Celtic Christian hymns, prayers and incantations from A' Ghàidhealtachd

Here's the full hymn for anyone interested (I've underlined Christian language). You say you scoured the internet and couldn't find the rest of it anywhere, but this is a hymn from volume 1 which is readily available online

Interestingly the other Bealltainn blessing right after this one begins with an invocation of the Virgin Mary

You insisted in the replies that Ortha nan Gàidheal isn't a Christian collection and is actually a collection of pagan songs, and yet almost every single entry is explicitly Christian in some way. This hymn is from a section on holidays, including many entries for Christmas, St Columba's Day, The Feast of Mary, St Michael's Day and songs outlining Sabbath observance. In other volumes there are sections on baptisms, prayers for waking and going to bed, thanking God for the new moon, asking God for protection, blessings for specific types of work, and invocations of the saints to name a few

Believe me, Celtic communities have complex feelings about Christianity, and a lot of us mourn the loss of what was there before conversion. But Christianity is also a huge part of Celtic culture; almost all of written Celtic history is Christian. Erasing Christianity from our history just isn't possible without throwing out half of our culture with it

Celebrate Là Buidhe Bealltainn. Celebrate it without the Christian elements if you want (I do to an extent), but don't erase the history. Don't cut out segments from our prayers just because they don't fit your narrative of what Celtic culture and history is like. 19th Century Gaels were Christian, and that's okay

Beltane, The Witch's Night

Beltane is a Gaelic holiday celebrating the first day of may and also as the transitionary period between spring and summer. It's held half way between the Spring Equinox (Ostara) and the Summer Solstice (Litha). It was traditionally celebrate in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. While there are many major Wiccan and Pagan holidays throughout the year, according to The Wheel of the Year, Beltane is one of the four SEASONAL holidays (along with Samhain, Imbolc, Lughnasadh). Beltane's history goes way back, mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and plays important roles in most of Irish mythology. It marks the beginning of summer and also the time to drive cattle out into the summer pastures (at least in Ireland for the latter part).

Beltane has come to be known by several names, most commonly Beltane, May Day, and Walpurgisnacht. Walpurgisnacht can be translated to "Walpurgis Night", where Walpurgis doesn't have a direct translation most thing it's an old German word for "magic user". So most translate it to "Witch's Night" even if it's not entirely correct it gets the general message out.

Beltane is celebrate at sundown of April 30th and continued to be celebrated until sundown of May 1st. Most celebrations in modern era include bonfires, feasts, music, dancing, and just general livelihood outside as you dance under the moonlight. It's meant to bring good fortune and good times in the coming summer for plentiful harvest, or if you don't live in Ireland, plentiful success. It was around the 18th century that real records of Beltane started being upkept. In the 19th century, a folklorist by the name of Alexander Carmichael started collecting songs that had to do with Pagan holidays. One such song was a Beltane folksong called Am Beannachadh Bealltain (The Beltane Blessing) which he recorded in his Carmina Gadelica. This is the song:

Beannaich, a Thrianailt fhioir nach gann, (Bless, O Threefold true and bountiful,) Mi fein, mo cheile agus mo chlann, (Myself, my spouse and my children,) Mo chlann mhaoth's am mathair chaomh 'n an ceann, (My tender children and their beloved mother at their head,) Air chlar chubhr nan raon, air airidh chaon nam beann, (On the fragrant plain, at the gay mountain sheiling,) Air chlar chubhr nan raon, air airidh chaon nam beam. (On the fragrant plain, at the gay mountain sheiling.) Gach ni na m' fhardaich, no ta 'na m' shealbh, (Everything within my dwelling or in my possession,) Gach buar is barr, gach tan is tealbh, (All kine and crops, all flocks and corn,) Bho Oidhche Shamhna chon Oidhche Bheallt, (From Hallow Eve to Beltane Eve,) Piseach maith, agus beannachd mallt, (With goodly progress and gentle blessing,) Bho mhuir, gu muir, agus bun gach allt, (From sea to sea, and every river mouth,) Bho thonn gu tonn, agus bonn gach steallt. (From wave to wave, and base of waterfall.)

Aside from bonfires, flowers are also an integral part of celebrating Beltane. Particular the yellow flowers associated with May: hazel, primrose, hawthorn, rowan, grose, and marsh marigold. These flowers are usually hung above doorways and windows as well as worn by dancers around the bonfire. Holy wells and sacred springs are frequented during Beltane.

As it pertains to Wicca, a Beltane altar should include green, white, and light blue candles to invoke the spirits of Summer and bring forth fruitful pastures or fruitful success. The Goddess may be placed as the figure, but I recommend using a figure statue of Gaia or a nymph since they are tied to nature. Place the yellow flowers around the altar and use a green or yellow altar cloth. I recommend using a wooden bowl and pestle and earthier ingredients versus the more liquid ones. But every witch's altar is their own. Do with it what speaks true to you, these are just my recommendations.

Blessed Beltane to all.