#Walpurgisnacht is the eve of the Feast of Saint Walpurga

[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

[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…

[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.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Happy Birthday Anathema! :)

Anathema Jane Nutter Device was born 30 April 1996.

Why 30 April? It’s the Walpurgis Night.

From wiki: 

Walpurgis Night an abbreviation of Saint Walpurgis Night (from the German Sankt Walpurgisnacht ), also known as Saint Walpurga's Eve (alternatively spelled Saint Walburga'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. This feast commemorates the canonization of Saint Walpurga and the movement of her relics to Eichstätt, both of which occurred on 1 May 870.

Saint Walpurga was hailed by the Christians of Germany for battling "pest, rabies and 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. In parts of Christendom, people continue to light bonfires on Saint Walpurga's Eve in order to ward off evil spirits and witches. Others have historically made Christian pilgrimages to Saint Walburga's tomb in Eichstätt on the Feast of Saint Walburga, often obtaining vials of Saint Walburga's oil.

Local variants of Walpurgis Night are observed throughout Northern and Central Europe in the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Lithuania, Finland, and Estonia.

And yes, Neil did choose such witchy day to be her birthday because of this :)

[violettadecalda]

Walpurgis Night

Other names: walpurgisnacht, hexennacht, May eve

Date: April 30

Symbols: spindles, grain, dogs, rabbits

According to old German legend, Walpurgisnacht was when witchen would fly and meet up on the highest peak of the Harz Mountains to dance and celebrate spring. Though Walpurgisnacht has long been associated with witches, it was pagans seeking freedom from the church in this well-secluded area. Of course, the church spread rumors that these meetings were unruly and evil in nature, and that Satan attended these meetings. It became custom to make lots of noise and light fires in order to "scare the witches away".

While Walpurgisnacht got its traditions from a pagan festival, it's name comes from Saint Walpurga, who was the abbess of a convent in Mainz, Germany. Her feast day is May 1st. Common customs of Walpurgisnacht included hanging blessed bells from cow's necks, leaving bread with honey and butter as an offering in the fields, jumping over broomsticks, and burning those broomsticks. Boughs from trees such as juniper, hawthorn, and elder were hung around the house.

Today, Walpurgisnacht is a welcome to witches, and many people in Germany will dress in witch costumes. Pranks are also played on Walpurgisnacht. This is a common time to have picnics, drink mead, or roast things like hot dogs over the fire. To contact a spirit on Walpurgisnacht, it is believed that one can put on their clothes inside out and walk backwards to a crossroads at midnight.

It is believed that hellhounds roam on Walpurgisnacht, and a buttery bread treat called Ankenschnitt is left out for them (and eaten by the family, of course). To make Ankenschnitt, butter up a slice of bread well and drizzle it with honey.

Sources:

(Pictures are not mine)

[the-oddest-inkling]

Obscure German Saints

Saint Walpurga

Walpurga or Walburga (Old English: Wealdburg, Latin: Valpurga, Walpurga, Walpurgis, Swedish: Valborg; c. AD 710 – 25 February 777 or 779), also spelled Valderburg or Guibor, was an Anglo-Saxon missionary to the Frankish Empire. She was canonized on 1 May c. 870 by Pope Adrian II. Saint Walpurgis Night (or "Sankt Walpurgisnacht") is the name for the eve of her feast day in the Medieval period, which coincided with May Day; her feast is no longer celebrated on that day, but the name is still used for May Eve.

Her feast day is Feburary 25th

Walpurga is the patroness of Eichstätt and Weilburg, Germany; and she is invoked as special patroness against hydrophobia, in storms, and also by sailors.

[blackumbrellajewelry]

In Germanic folklore, Hexennacht, (“Witches’ Night”), was believed to be the night of a witches’ meeting on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, a range of wooded hills in central Germany. On the night of April 30 to May 1, Christians pray to God through the intercession of Saint Walpurga in order to protect themselves from witchcraft. The daughter of Saint Richard the Pilgrim and sister of Saint Willibald, Saint Walpurga was born in Devon, England in 710 A.D. into a prominent Anglo-Saxon family. She studied medicine and became a Christian missionary to Germany, where she founded a double monastery in Heidenheim. Christian artwork often depicts her holding bandages in her hand. As a result of Saint Walpurga’s evangelism in Germany, the people there converted to Christianity from heathenism. She was hailed for battling “pest, rabies and whooping cough, as well as against witchcraft.” Her monastery became an education center and “soon became famous as a center of culture”. She died in 777 and her tomb, to this day, produces holy oil known as Saint Walburga’s oil, which is believed to heal sickness - it flows from the stone slab and the surrounding metal plate on which her relics rest. Benedictine nuns distribute this oil in vials to pilgrims who visit her tomb. people continue to light bonfires on Saint Walpurga’s Eve in order to ward off evil spirits and witches. Given that witches gathered on Hexennacht, the Western Christian Church established the Feast of Saint Walpurga on the same night in order to counteract the witchcraft. Walpurgisnacht has become a type of Halloween in Germany today. In the Harz Mountains, bonfires are lit, and thousands of people dressed in witch or devil costumes come from all over to dance and celebrate on a plateau called the Hexentanzplatz near the town of Thale. * An old German postcard depicting Walpurgis Night celebrations on the Hexentanzplatz 🌸 Beltane blessings to all (at Harz Mountains)
https://www.instagram.com/p/COSthmVh4P0/?igshid=z8fnsnli0k9i

[sabrinasgrimoire]

Beltane Series: Walpurgisnacht

Walpurgisnacht or Hexennacht is celebrated from the eve of April 30th to May 1st. This is a traditional Germanic festival associated with witches. “Hexe” is the German word for “witch”, and “nacht” is the German word for “night”. So, the name translated to “witches night”. It’s more common name, Walpurgisnacht, is associated with the Christian feast of Saint Walpurga. This is a night that has striking similarities to the modern Halloween. On the Wheel of the Year, it falls exactly opposite of Samhain, making it the perfect time to feel the thinning of the veil and celebrate traditions of this time. In this essay, I will be covering both traditions.

It is common knowledge that the early European peoples celebrated the coming of spring. It meant the long winter was over, and abundance and warm weather were soon coming. In German folklore, it is said that witches and warlocks also welcomed the coming of spring by flying around Germany on broomsticks. On the eve of April 30th, they met on the highest peak in the Harz Mountain where bonfires would be lit and a ceremony took place to welcome in the spring. This peak is called Blocksberg Mountain, and has long been associated with witches in Germany. It is more than likely that these “witches” were simply pagans looking for a secluded place to practice their religion in peace, away from the prying eyes of the people and the church.

Over time, these traditions shifted. What once was a ritual to welcome spring, became a ritual to chase away evil spirits. You see, the villagers were afraid of the witches up in the mountains. They believed that witches and evil spirits travelled through the land on this night with ill intent. This is the parallel to the thinning of the veil at Beltane, exactly 6 months away from Samhain when the veil between worlds is the thinnest. In order to chase away these witches and bad spirits, the men of the village would make as much noise as they could to scare them away. This involved shooting shotguns, banging pots and pans together, and any other number of noisy activities. They also lit bonfires to light up the night, and discourage spirits who were sensitive to light from entering their village. Sprigs of foliage were blessed and hung above doorways to block the evil spirits from entering, and traditional bread and honey was left at the edges of town as offerings to the hellhounds.

So why was April 30th such an important night? Well, Pagan and Christian customs seem to have been tangled together. In medieval times, April 30th was an important half-way point that marked exactly 6 months until All Saint’s Day, which is the Christianized version of the pagan sabbat Samhain. This was an extremely important date for pagans, and was called the festival of Beltane. This was not to last, and the Christian church imposed a new holiday over Beltane, which was supposed to help the pagans convert to Christianity. Instead of the ancient Beltane, they honored Saint Walpurga, and called in Walpurgisnacht.

So who was Saint Walpurga, and why was she so important? She was born in Devonshire, England in 770AD. When she was young, she was sent to Germany as a missionary, and quickly became the abbess of the convent in Heidenheim. During her time here, she baptized many pagans into the Christian church. After her death, it is said that a healing oil began seeping between the stones of her tomb. This was the miracle that transformed her into a saint, and her body was subsequently split into many pieces and sent throughout Europe as relics. Because she died on May 1st, this is the day that became her holy day, and the eve of May 1st is when her feast was celebrated. She is known as the patron saint of coughs, sailors, hydrophobia, and storms. Many Christians in the Middle Ages also prayed to her to shield them against witchcraft, which was especially associated with her feast and the traditions of the day.

It is interesting to look at the similarities between Saint Walpurga and pagan traditions as well. Saint Walpurga’s symbols are grain, dogs, and the spindle. These same symbols are found in pagan tradition. Grain is a traditional symbol of the harvest, dogs are considered traditional familiars for Germanic Goddesses, and the spindle is associated with Frau Holda from the famous fairy tale. This made it easy for pagans unwilling to convert to say they were honoring Saint Walpurga, when instead they were honoring the old Germanic Gods. Though the Christian Feast of Saint Walpurga had different beliefs than the pagan traditions, there were other striking similarities. For one, the tradition of hanging sprigs of foliage over doorways was observed by Christians as well as pagans. Though some traditions remained the same, most of the Christian ones were different. People often made pilgrimages to her tomb in Eichstätt, where they would purchase vials of Saint Walpurga’s oil.

Now let’s talk about some of the customs of Walpurgisnacht. These traditions are very similar to those of Beltane. After the long, cold winter, it is only natural that the coming of spring should be celebrated. This was especially important to early Germanic peoples who lived in a cold place in the world, where winter carried with it a serious risk of death. To welcome back the warmer part of the year, they built great bonfires, and partook in a lot of song and dance reminiscent of that around the maypole for May Day. There are however, a few traditions not reflected in those of Beltane. These are the ones I find to be the most interesting! Remember when I said that this was also considered a witches night? Well, it was tradition to ride broomsticks between balefires or jump over them. It was also a time to burn old brooms in the fire. This is possibly the origin of the myth that witches fly on broomsticks. Anything old or broken was also burned in these fires, symbolically and physically cleaning the old energy from the house. Straw likenesses were created and adorned with illness and other bad things and symbolically burned in the fires as well, ridding the person of these bad things in their lives.

Though these were the traditional Walpurgisnacht traditions, they have changed once again with the times, and modern celebrations look different than they once did. The major difference between this celebration and the Christian celebration is that it is secular, and no longer associated with the Catholic Saint Walpurga. The fear of witches has been largely dispersed in modern times. More and more people are embracing witchcraft either through practice, media, or any number of different ways. With this new view, Germany’s celebration of Walpurgisnacht has turned into a sort of second Halloween in Germany. People come to the Harz Mountains dressed as witches, warlocks, or other magick wielders. Here, they dance and celebrate alongside others and large bonfires. The largest celebration is held in the Hexentanzplatz, which is a plateau near the town of Thale. Though this is the largest celebration, Walpurgisnacht is celebrated across Saxony.

Southern Germany sees Walpurgisnacht a little differently. Here it is seen as a night of pranks, kind of like April Fool’s Day in America. In Finland, Walpurgisnacht is called Vappu, and is one of the country’s most important holidays. It was originally celebrated here only by the upper class, but quickly trickled down and became especially popular with university students. In Berlin, Walpurgisnacht is a traditional night to start riots and protests, as it is closely associated with the German Labor Day. These protests usually begin in the Mauerpark where the remains of the Berlin Wall sit on display as a reminder. This is a new association with Walpurgisnacht, but an important cultural association to the German people.

Unfortunately, the negative connotations of Walpurgisnacht are still present in some cases. In the Czech Republic, this night is known as “Paleni Carodejnic”, which translated to “Burning of the Witches”. Though there is no actual burning of witches, the negative connotation remains. It is tradition here to build bonfires as well and burn images of witches throughout the night.

Walpurgisnacht appears many times in famous literature. The first instance introduced the myth of the witches, and was called “The Blocksberg Performance” by Johannes Präetorius. After this first introduction into mainstream entertainment, Walpurgisnacht found its way into other literature and music. The most well known reference is Goethe’s play “Faust”. Walpurgisnacht is the name of a scene in part one of Faust and part two. Other famous examples of Walpurgisnacht in literature include “The Magic Mountain” by Thomas Mann, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” by Edward Albee, and “Dracula’s Guest” by Bram Stoker.

Obviously, there are many traditions associated with Walpurgisnacht. It is especially pertinent to those of us who practice witchcraft due to the rich history of pagan and witch traditions on this night. This is just another way to further celebrate Beltane and the welcoming of spring. Modern witches can use this night to feel more witchy and to connect to their pagan and witch ancestors.

Works Cited:

Melanie Marquis (2018), Beltane: Rituals, Recipes, and Lore for May Day, Llewellyn, Fourth Edition, Print, Pages 39

Raven Grimassi (2001), Beltane: Springtime Rituals, Lore & Celebration, Llewellyn, Print

Various (Various), Walpurgis Night, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpurgis_Night

Karen Anne (April 28th 2017), What is Walpurgisnacht? And How Did an English Nun Become Associated with Witches?, German Girl in America, https://germangirlinamerica.com/what-is-walpurgisnacht/

DHWTY (November 9th 2018), Walpurgis Night: A Saint, Witches, and Pagan Beliefs in Springtime Halloween for Scandinavia, Ancient Origins, https://www.ancient-origins.net/history ... ht-0010965

[corisanna]

Just wanted to say that I just read your other fic May Day, Mayday, M'aidez and I really enjoyed it! I like the way you portrayed Madokami, it's actually somewhat rare to finds stories of her being somewhat alien for being a sentient law of reality. That actually makes me wonder, will we see Madokami in ANAI?

Thank you!

I honestly haven’t read much PMMM fanfic so I’m not entirely sure what you mean about how she is “usually” written. I don’t read a lot when I’m writing something because I know my brain might latch onto something shiny and distract me for other writing, and I started ANAI like two or three months after watching all of PMMM. Most of that time was planning/research. XD

Writing Madokami as both a teenage girl and as a deity and having the ability to switch modes or be both at once was a fine line to tread. I remember having a lot of parts in red to go back and check/alter. I just reread it and think I leaned more toward “Madoka” than “LoC,” but idk. Sometimes I’m “too close” to what I write to be objective. I’m glad you like it. <3

..........

(For those who don’t know what this is about, I wrote a post-series pre-Rebellion fic for May Day 2017. The holiday Walpurgisnacht is April 30th with May 1st being the feast day of Saint Walpurga/Walburga, who is said to intercede to ward off witchcraft. I also took this into account for the six-ish week timeline in As N Approaches Infinity, with Walpurgisnacht descending at the stroke of midnight between Eve and feast day in a little town she’s associated with in Germany; due to time zones and the International Date Line, that’s around 8am May 1st in Japan. If I did my time zone math right LOL.)

..........

As for the question....

No comment <3

[theasatrucommunity]

Asatru Holidays

For more info visit our website: http://www.theasatrucommunity.org/holidays

The month of January/Snow Moon

January 9 - Remembrance for Raud the Strong (a Norwegian chieftain whom Olaf Tryggvason killed for refusing to convert. The end of a metal horn was put down Raud's throat; a poisonous snake was then put into the horn and the other end heated to drive it along...).

January 14 - Thorrablot: This holiday began the Old Norse month of Snorri. It is still observed in Iceland with parties and a mid-winter feast. It is of course sacred to Thor and the ancient Icelandic Winter Spirit of Thorri. On this day, we should perform blot to Thor and invite the mighty Asaman to the feast.

DISTING / DISABLOT

January 31st

Also called 'Charming of the Plough/Plow' after the Anglo-Saxon spell and ceremony. Recorded as a regular feast only in Sweden, this blessing takes place January 31st. The name means 'Thing (assembly) of the Goddesses'. In Sweden, it was the first public moot/fair and market of the year; in Denmark, this is the time when the first furrows were ploughed in the field. This is a feast of new beginnings, at which the work in the fields for the growing season to come is blessed. For Charming of the Plough/Plow the equipment would be “charmed” as well as the field, and seed so that the crops would be in abundance. The Landvættir / land wights would be honored and thanked for their help in the planting, growing and eventual harvest.

The month of February / Horning

February 2 - Barri: This is the day we celebrate the wooing by Ingvi Freyr of the maiden Gerd, a symbolic marriage of the Vanir God of Fertility with the Mother Earth. It is a festival of fertility, the planted seed and the plowed furrow. For those of you who garden, this is the time to plant seeds indoors, to later be transplanted in the summer garden.

February 9 - Remembrance for Eyvind Kinnrifi (whom Olaf Tryggvason tortured to death when he refused to convert, by putting a metal brazier filled with burning coals on his belly).

February 14 - Folk etymology has led to this day being called 'Feast of Vali' in modern Asatru. Saint Valentine has no associations with Vali, nor to the thinly disguised heathen Lupercalia rites which take place on this day. Many Heathens still honor this God on February 14th.

The month of March / Lenting

March 9 - Day of Remembrance for Oliver the Martyr: He was an adherent of Asatru who persisted in organizing underground sacrifices to the Gods and Goddesses despite decrees by St Olaf the Lawbreaker forbidding such activities. Betrayed by an informer, he was killed by Olaf’s men while preparing for the Spring sacrifice in the village of Maerin Norway. Many other men whose names are lost to us were also killed, mutilated, or exiled for taking part in such sacrifices.

OSTARA / SUMMER FINDING

Spring Equinox near March 21st

Ostara is celebrated on the spring equinox around March 21. This feast marks the beginning of the summer half of the year. It is a celebration of fertility and was known as a fire festival (fire used to represent the sun). It is named after the goddess Ostara (Anglo-Saxon Eostre), who was such an integral part of heathen Germanic culture that the Christians stole and absorbed it as their own spring feast which was adapted for the Paschal holiday, and was converted to the Christian Easter. This was all done to get more heathens to convert to their Christian beliefs. Her name is related to the Germanic words for "east" and "glory"; she was the embodiment of the springtime and the renewal of life.

At the equinox, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. In the northern hemisphere, before Ostara, the sun rises and sets more and more to the south, and afterwards, it rises and sets more and more to the north.

Spring equinox is the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere. The holiday is a celebration the rejuvenation of the Earth, fertility and growth; traditional decorations include budding boughs, flowers, decorated eggs and the Rabbit motif. Mating season starts early in the spring especially for rabbits and birds. Male hares could be seen jumping around wildly and acting crazy. This is where the phrase “Crazy as a March hare” comes from.

Heathen folk customs associated especially with Ostara's feast include the painting and hunting of Easter eggs, which, according to German tradition, were brought or laid by the 'Easter Hare'. The Hare was the holy beast of Ostara, slain and eaten only at her blessing. In Germany, bakeries sell hare-shaped cakes at this time of year. Fires were also kindled on the hilltops at dawn, especially in Germany. Another common folk-custom which still survives in rural areas is the performance of plays at which Summer battles with Winter and drives him out, or at which an effigy embodying Winter is beaten, burned, or drowned.

Today, Ostara is seen as the feast to awakening the Earth, the gods and goddesses, and the human soul. Life becomes brighter and more joyful after the Ostara feast has been rightly held.

March 28 - Ragnar Lodbrok Day: Ragnar was one of the legends most famous Vikings. On this day in Runic Year 1145 he raided Paris. It just happened to be Easter Sunday. Today toast Ragnar and read from his Saga.

The month of April / Ostara

April 9 - Remembrance for Haakon Sigurdsson (Haakon the Great), one of the Jarls of Hladhir, a great defender of Heathenism in Norway during the brutal period of forced conversion to Christianity.

April 15 - Sigrblot/Sumarsdag: Today we celebrate the first day of Summer in the Old Icelandic calendar. In Iceland, it had strong agricultural overtones, but elsewhere in the Nordic world, it was a time to sacrifice to Odin for victory in the summer voyages and battles.

April 22 - Yggdrasil Day: On this day, we realize the great significance that the World Tree plays in our culture, heritage, and spirituality. It is from the World Tree that we came, and it shelters and nurtures the Asatru today, and will offer refuge come Ragnarok. Trees are the lungs as well as the soul of Midgard.

MAY EVE / WALUBURGIS NIGHT

April 31st - May 1st

Waluburgis Night (Valborgsmassoafton in Swedish, Vappu in Finnish, Walpurgisnacht in German) is a holiday celebrated on April 30, in Finland, Sweden and Germany.

It is named after a woman called "Valborg" (alternative spellings are "Walpurgis", "Wealdburg", or "Valderburger") born in 710 somewhere in Dorset / Wessex as a niece of Saint Boniface. Together with her brothers she later travelled to Württemberg, Germany where she became a nun and lived in the convent of Heidenheim, which was founded by her brother Wunibald. Valborg died on February 25, 779 and that day still carries her name in the Catholic calendar. However, she wasn't made a saint until May 1 in the same year, and that day carries her name in the Swedish calendar.

Viking fertility celebrations took place around April 30 and due to Valborg being declared a saint at that time of year, her name became associated with the celebrations. Valborg was worshipped in the same way that Vikings had celebrated spring and as they spread throughout Europe the two dates became mixed together and created the Valborg celebration.

Waluburgis is one of the main holidays during the year in both Sweden and Finland, alongside of Yule and Midsummer. One of the main traditions is to light large bonfires, and for the younger people to collect greens and branches from the woods at twilight, which were used to adorn the houses of the village. The expected reward for this task to be paid in eggs.

The tradition which is most spread throughout the country is probably singing songs of spring. The strongest and most traditional spring festivities take up most of the day from early morning to late night on April 30.

Historically the Walpurgisnacht is derived from heathen spring customs, where the arrival of spring was celebrated with bonfires at night. With the Christianization of Germany these old customs were condemned as heathen.

No true Germanic Heathen name survives for May Eve; the German Walpurgisnacht is derived from the well-documented Christian St. Walpurga. To avoid confusion, and because no better name survives, many Germanic heathens have replaced 'Walpurga' with the name of the second-century Germanic seeress 'Waluburg'. This festival marks the beginning of summer in Scandinavia.

In all the Germanic countries, it is a time when witches are particularly active, a belief memorialized in Goethe's description of the witch-moot on the Brocken (Faust, Act I) and Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain".

It is also the Germanic equivalent of Valentine's Day and a night of love: young men are expected to go out into the woods to gather green branches and wildflowers with which they decorate the windows of their beloveds. For both these reasons, Heathens consider Freya to be the ruler of this festival, as she is mistress of both witchcraft and love. The traditional 'Maypole' or 'May Tree' is also a part of the celebration of this feast; in Scandinavia, the 'May Tree' is carried about in processions, a practice which probably goes back to the Vanic fruitfulness-procession of earliest Heathen times. Fires were kindled on grave mounds or other high places on this night; it is traditional for folk to leap through the flames for luck. A fire kindled by friction (the 'need-fire') might also be used to protect cattle against illness or cure them.

The month of May / Merrymoon

May 1 - May Day: The first of May is a time of great celebration across Europe, as the fields get greener and the flowers decorate the landscape with colorful confusion. Freya turns her kindly face to us after the night of Walburg. Celebrate the birth of Spring and the gifts of Freya on this day.

May 9 - Remembrance for Gudrod of Gudbrandsdal, whose tongue was cut out by the Norwegian king 'St. Olaf' (not to be confused with Olaf Tryggvason despite the similarity of names and methods. St. Olaf, otherwise known as 'Olaf the Fat' or 'Olaf the Big-Mouthed', was canonized for his efforts to convert Norway by fear, murder and torture).

This Norwegian martyr spoke out against the tyranny of the Christian fanatic Tryggvason, and urged others to resist him. For this, the king had his tongue cut out.

May 20 - Frigga Blot: Today we rejoice in the warmth and splendor of Spring. A traditional time for a Kindred campout, perform blot to honor the AllMother and thank her for the health and vitality of the Family, Kindred and Tribe.

The month of June / Midyear

June 8 - Lindisfarne Day: On this day in the year 1043 Runic Era (793 CE) three Viking ships raided the Isle of Lindisfarne, officially opening what is the Viking Age.

June 9 - Remembrance for Sigurd the Dragon slayer (known in German versions of the story as Siegfried). Sigurd the Volsung: He is the model hero. His wooing of the Valkyrie Brynhild, the winning of the treasure of the Nibelungs, and slaying the dragon Fafnir, are priceless parts of our Asatru heritage.

MIDSUMMER

Summer Solstice near June 21st

Midsummer is the religious celebration held at the summer solstice. This feast usually falls around June 20-21. Midsummer-related holidays, traditions and celebrations are found in all the Germanic countries of Northern Europe. Midsummer's eve is considered the second greatest festival of the Germanic holy year, comparable only to the 12 days of Yule.

The Summer Solstice is the date with the longest day and hence with the shortest night. This date usually falls near June 21.

Certain celebrations take place on the evening of the summer solstice. Great roaring Bonfires, speeches, songs and dancing are most traditional. Folk traditions include the making of wreaths, the kindling of fires, the burning of corn dollies (human figure made of straw), and the adornment of fields, barns, and houses with greenery.

Midsummer as particularly a time to make blessings to Baldur. Model Viking ships are also sometimes made from thin wood, filled with small flammable offerings, and burned. Midsummer is the high point of the year, the time when deeds are brightest and the heart is most daring. This is the time when our Viking forebears, having their crops safely planted, sailed off to do battle in other lands. It is a time for action and risk, for reaching fearlessly outward.

Other traditional events include raising and dancing around a huge maypole. Before the maypole is raised, greens and flowers are collected and used to "may", the entire pole. Raising and dancing around a maypole to traditional music is primarily a fertility ritual.

The holiday is considered the time of the death of the Fair God of sunshine, Baldur and thus the turning point at which summer reaches its height and the Sun shines longest, but at the same time it is when the days will soon begin to shorten and the Earth is beginning its slow descent into winter again. For that reason, some groups prefer to honor the Goddess Sunna for she is the Sun that shines on crops during the summer months. It is important to note that midsummer is actually the first day of summer and not the middle.

One idea for midsummer is to remain awake all night and mark the shortest night of the year, then at sunrise to perform a "Greeting of Sunna" blot to her.

Another midsummer custom is the rolling of a flaming wagon wheel down a hill to mark the turning of the wheel of the year. If fire would otherwise be a hazard, one could parade a wheel covered with candles for similar effect.

The month of July / Haymoon

July 9 - Day of Remembrance for Unn the Deep Minded: Unn was a powerful figure from the Laxdaela Saga who emigrated to Scotland to avoid the hostility of King Harald Fairhair. She established dynasties in the Orkney and Faroe Islands by carefully marrying off her granddaughters. As a settler in Iceland she was considered one of the great chieftains of Iceland as she continued to exhibit all those traits which were her hallmark-strong will, a determination to control, dignity, and a noble character. In the last days of her life, she established a mighty line choosing one of her grandsons as her heir. She died during his wedding celebration, presumable accomplishing her goals and worked out her orlog here in Midgard. She received a typical Nordic ship burial, surrounded by her treasure and her reputation for great deeds.

July 29 - Stikklestad Day: Olaf the Lawbreaker (“St. Olaf”) was killed at the battle of Stikklestad on this date in the year 1280 R.E. “Olaf the Fat” acquired a reputation for killing, maiming, and exiling his fellow Norwegians who would not convert to Christianity, and for carrying an army with him in violation of the law to help him accomplish his oppression. Today honor the warriors who brought justice to the Lawbreaker.

The month of August / Harvest

FREYFEST / FREYFAXI / LAMMAS

August 1st (Or July 31st)

The name Lammas is taken from an Anglo-Saxon heathen festival which was forcibly Christianized. The name (from hlaf-mass, "loaves festival") implies, it is a feast of thanksgiving for bread, symbolizing the first fruits of the harvest.

Heathens mark the holiday by baking a figure of the God Freyr in bread, and then symbolically sacrificing and eating it.

Again, no purely Heathen name has survived for this festival, which takes place at the beginning of August, as this was the time when the first fruits of harvest were brought to the church as gifts; since this was taken over from Heathen custom. In English and German tradition, the First Sheaf was often bound and blessed as an offering to Heathen deities or the spirits of the field at the beginning of harvest, just as the Last Sheaf was at its end. English folk custom also includes the decoration of wells and springs.

In Heathenism today, the feast is especially thought of as holy to Freyr as a fertility God, Thor as a harvest God and his wife Sif, whose long golden hair can be seen in fields of ripe grain. The warriors who had gone off to fight at the end of planting season came back, loaded with a summer's worth of plunder and ready to reap the crops that had ripened while they were gone. Loaf-Feast is the end of the summer's vacation, the beginning of a time of hard work which lasts through the next two or three months, while we ready ourselves for the winter.

Freyfaxi marked the time of the harvest in ancient Iceland. Today the Asatru observe this date as a celebration of their harvest with blot to Freyr and a grand Feast from the gardens and the fields. Any grains harvested are made into breads and other seasonal fruits and vegetables are included in the feast. Preserving foods from the harvest is also done this time of year. Some groups gather to help each other preserve food for the winter.

​

August 9 - Day of Remembrance for Radbod: On this date, we honor Radbod a king of Frisia what was an early target of Christian missionaries. Just before his baptism ceremony, he asked the clergy what fate had befallen his ancestors who died loyal to Asatru. The missionaries replied that Radbod’s Heathen ancestors were burning in Hell-to which the king replied: “Then I will rather live there with my ancestors than go to heaven with a parcel of beggars.” The baptism was cancelled, the aliens expelled, and Frisia remained free.

The month of September / Shedding

September 9 - Day of Remembrance for Herman of the Cherusci: Few mortals have privileged to serve our Folk as did Herman, a leader of the tribe called the Cherusci. He defeated Varus’s three Roman Legions in 9 C.E. Herman was very aware of his duties not only as a member of his tribe but also as an Asaman - indeed the two were probably inseparable with him. Shedding is the ideal time to give him praise, because the crucial battle for which he is remembered was fought during this month.

FALL FEAST/HAUSTBLOT

Autumn Equinox near September 21st

Fall-feast is another joyous festival in the Asatru holy calendar, and falls on the Autumn Equinox, and is the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere. Also called Winter Finding - Fall fest represents the second harvest of the season.

Bonfires, feasting, and dancing played a large part in the festivities. Even into Christian times, villagers cast the bones of the slaughtered cattle upon the flames, cattle having a prominent place in the pre-Christian Germanic world. (Though folk etymology derives the English word "bonfire" from these "bone fires,") With the bonfire ablaze, the villagers extinguished all other fires. Each family then lit their hearth from the common flame, bonding the families of the village together.

Practically speaking it marked the beginning of the gathering of food for the long winter months ahead, bringing people and their livestock in to their winter quarters. To be alone and missing at this dangerous time was to expose yourself and your spirit to the perils of imminent winter. In present times, the importance of this part of the festival has diminished for most people. From the point of view of an agricultural people, for whom a bad season meant facing a long winter of famine when many would not survive until spring, it was paramount.

At the equinox, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. In the northern hemisphere, before the autumnal equinox, the sun rises and sets more and more to the north, and afterwards, it rises and sets more and more to the south.

In ancient times, our European ancestors celebrated their Harvest Feast, and found many reasons to be thankful and to celebrate. Our people have done this for as long as we can trace our history. Although what our people have felt thankful for has certainly changed over the many years. Remember as you sit down this year with your family, you're participating in an ancient tradition. And it's a great time to figure out what you're thankful for or for your kindred to hold a blot of thanks.

The month of October / Hunting

October 8 - Day of Remembrance for Erik the Red: Remember the founder of Greenland, (exiled for murder he sailed west to Greenland) and father of Leif Erikson, the founder of Vinland. Erik remained loyal to Thor even when his wife left the Gods and refused to sleep with her Heathen husband.

October 9 - Day of Remembrance for Leif Erikson: this is a day that even the U.S. Government admits who should dedicate to the man who beat Columbus to the shores of Vinland by over 500 years.

October 14 - Winter Nights/Vetrablot: In the Old Icelandic Calendar, winter begins on the Saturday between the 11th and 17th. Winter Nights celebrates the bounty of the harvest and honors Freya and the fertility and protective spirits called Disir, that She leads (often the Disir are seen as our female ancestors). Give glory to Freya and pour a libation of ale, milk, or mead into the soil an offering to the Disir and the Earth itself.

WINTER NIGHTS / VETRNAETR

October 31st

Winter nights is held the 31st of October. Winter nights marked the last of the harvest and the time when the animals that were not expected to make it through the winter were butchered and smoked or made into sausage. The festival is also called "Elf-Blessing", "Dis-Blessing", or "Frey-Blessing", which tells us that it was especially a time of honoring the ancestral spirits, the spirits of the land, the Vanir, and the powers of fruitfulness, wisdom, and death.

It marks the turning of the year from summer to winter, the turning of our awareness from outside to inside. Among the Norse, the ritual was often led by the elder woman of a family - the ruler of the house and all within.

One of the MOST common harvest customs of the Germanic people was the hallowing and leaving of the "Last Sheaf" in the field, often for Odin and/or his host of the dead, though the specifics of the custom vary considerably over its wide range. The Wild Hunt begins after Winter nights, and the roads and fields no longer belong to humans, but to ghosts and trolls.

The Winter nights feast is also especially seen as a time to celebrate our kinship and friendship with both the living and our earlier forebears. It marks the beginning of the long dark winter time at which memory becomes more important than foresight, and when old tales are told and great deeds are toasted as we ready ourselves for the spring to come. It is a time to think of accomplishments achieved and those which have yet to be made. Winter nights also marks the beginning of a time of indoor work, thought and craftsmanship.

This festival and feast celebrated the accessibility, veneration, awe, and respect of the dead. This was also a time for contemplation. To the ancient Germanic people, death was never very far away, and it was viewed as a natural and necessary part of life. To die was not as much of a surprise or tragedy it is in modern times and death as not viewed as something "scary" or "evil". Of higher importance to the Germanic people was to live & die with honor and thereby live on in the memory of the tribe to be honored at this great feast.

Starting on this night, the great divisions between the worlds was somewhat diminished which can allow the forces of chaos to invade the realms of order, the material world conjoining with the world of the dead. This is when the Wild hunt began in which the restless spirits of the dead and those yet to be born walked amongst the living. The dead could return to the places where they had lived and food and entertainment were provided in their honor. In this way, the tribes were at one with their past, present and future.

(Another example of changing the Germanic Heathen calendar to convert more pagans to Christianity. Winter nights on October 31 became "All Hallows Eve" and November 1st was declared "All Saint's Day".)

The month of November / Fogmoon

November 9 - Remembrance for Queen Sigrid of Sweden. Wooed by Olaf Tryggvason, the relationship ended sharply when she told him that she had no intention of leaving the gods of her fathers and he slapped her across the face. She was the chief arranger of the alliance that brought him down.

November 11 - Feast of the Einherjar, in which the fallen heroes in Valhalla, and in the halls of the other Gods and Goddesses are remembered.

November 27 - Feast of Ullr and Skadi, Weyland Smith's Day celebrating the greatest of Germanic craftsmen.

The month of December / Yule

December 9 - Remembrance for Egill Skallagrimsson, Odin was his God, and the blood of berserkers and shape-shifters ran in his family. His lust for gold and for fame was insatiable. Yet the same man was passionately moved by the love of his friends and generously opened handed to those who found his favor. The same brain that seethed with war-fury also composed skaldic poetry capable of calming angry kings. Can it be by accident that Egil worshipped Odin, the great solver of paradoxes and riddles?

YULE / YULETIDE

Sunset of the Winter Solstice (approximately December 20th)

Yuletide is the pre-Christian Germanic Midwinter celebration. The name Yule is derived from the Old Norse HJOL, meaning 'wheel,' to identify the moment when the wheel of the year is at its lowest point, ready to rise again. Hjol has been inherited by Germanic and Scandinavian languages from a pre-Indo-European language level, and is a direct reference to the return of the Sun represented as a fiery wheel rolling across the heavenly sky. Yule celebrations and traditions at the winter solstice predate Christianity by thousands of years.

There are numerous references to Yule in the Icelandic sagas, and in other ancient accounts testifying to how Yule was actually celebrated. It was a time for feasting, giving gifts, drinking and dancing.

The Yule holiday is the most important and most popular of all the native Germanic spiritual celebrations. Yule marks the return of the God Baldur from the realm of Hel and the loosening of winters grip on the frozen Earth.

The commencement of the Yuletide celebration has no set date, but is traditionally 12 days long with the start of the festivities beginning at sunset on the winter solstice (In the northern hemisphere, this date usually falls on or around December 20th) This Germanic Heathen holiday was forcibly stolen by early Christian missionaries and became known as the "12 days of Christmas".

The first night of Yule is called Mothernight, when Frigga and the Disir (female ancestral spirits) are especially honored. Mothers Night is appropriately named, as it represents the rebirth of the world from the darkness of winter. This is the date with the shortest day and the longest night of the year. A traditional vigil from dusk to dawn is held on the Mothers night, to make sure that the sun will rise again and welcome her when it does.

Yule is the season at which the gods and goddesses are closest to Midgard: our deities were called 'Yule-Beings' by the Norse, and Odin himself is called Jólnir, the "Yule One" and is where the image of Santa Claus is derived from. Yule is also the season during which the dead return to earth and share the feasts of the living. Elves, trolls, and other magical beings roam freely, and must either be warded off or invited to come in friendship and peace. Yule is the time of the year at which the Wild Hunt - Odin's host of the restless dead - rides most fiercely; it is dangerous to meet them, but gifts of food and drink are left out for them, for they can also bring blessings and fruitfulness.

Yule is a time for dancing, feasting and family. Sun wheels are sometimes burned as part of folk festivities. It was the practice in Germanic Heathen times to swear oaths on a hallowed boar. This survived in Swedish folk-custom; a large boar-shaped bread or block of wood covered with pigskin was brought forth at Yule for this purpose through the beginning of this century. Boar-cakes are used for Yule-oaths by most Heathens today. Especially meaningful oaths were also sworn on the horn or cup while drinking at the Yule-feast. The 'New Year's Resolution' is a diminished form of the holy Yule Oath. The fir or pine-tree which is carried into the house and decorated is an ancient Germanic custom, brought to America by German immigrants.

The tree on which holy gifts are hung was Heathen in origin representing Yggdrasil. In Germany, those who kept the old custom hid it inside so the church authorities wouldn’t notice, but in England and Scandinavia, the trees and various spirits received their gifts outside. In those latter countries, it was a candlelit and ribbon-bedecked wreath, the ring of which may have reflected the oath-ring or the Yule sun-wheel, that was traditionally brought in to decorate the home. The Yule-log is also an old Heathen custom. This log was supposed to burn all night during the longest night of the year to symbolize life lasting even in the time of greatest darkness, its fire rekindling the Sun in the morning. Its ashes or pieces were used as protective amulets during the rest of the year. Those who lack large fireplaces often use 24-hour candles instead.

The 12 days of Yule is largely devoted to baking cakes, cookies, and breads and making the unique decorations which beautify every Heathen home at this holiday season. There are, for example, intricate paper cutouts to make and put on the walls; stars, wooden toys, straw Goats and Wild Boars to hang on the Yule tree. The straw animals, which are still widely found throughout Sweden, are intimately related to ancient Norse Germanic mythology; originating in legends of the sacred animals of the gods; the Goats of Thor (Yule Goat - Julbock in Swedish), and the Wild Boar of Freyr (Yule Boar - Julgris or Julegris - also Swedish).

Most of the symbols associated with the modern holiday of Christmas (such as the Yule log, Santa Claus & his Elves, Christmas trees, the Wreath, the eating of ham, holly, mistletoe, the star...) are derived from traditional northern European Heathen Yule celebrations. When the first Christian missionaries began trying to force the Germanic peoples to Christianity, they found it easier to invent a Christian version for popular feasts such as Yule and allow the celebrations to go on largely unchanged, rather than trying to suppress them. Halloween and Easter have been likewise assimilated from northern European Heathen religious festivals.

December 31 - Twelfth Night: This culminates the traditional twelve days of Yule. Each day of which represents a month of the preceding year in miniature. Reflect on the past year. Take stock and lay a course for the future. Make New Year’s resolutions in the old way by swearing your oath on a sun wheel of evergreen, Yule wreath, or on your Hammer.

Sources:

https://stonecircles.wordpress.com/about/my-asatru/asatru-calendar/

http://odinsvolk.ca/O.V.A.%20-%20SACRED%20CALENDER.htm

http://www.ravenkindred.com/RBHolidays.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81satr%C3%BA_holidays

https://www.asatru.org/holidays.php

[alamio]

willkommen-in-germany:Walpurgisnacht aka Tanz in den Mai is the...

Walpurgisnacht aka Tanz in den Mai is the name for the night of 30 April, so called because it is the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess in Germany. In German folklore Walpurgisnacht, aka Hexennacht (witches’ night), is believed to be the night of a witches’ meeting on the Brocken to welcome spring. It’s the highest peak in the Harz Mountains of Niedersachsen and Sachsen-Anhalt, a range of wooded hills between the rivers Weser and Elbe. Local variants of Walpurgis Night are also observed in the Netherlands, Czech Rep, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, and Estonia. The term was first recorded in 1603. The 17th century German tradition of a meeting of sorcerers and witches on May Day eve is influenced by the descriptions of Witches’ Sabbaths in 15th and 16th century literature. All over Germany, it is common to “dance into May” on April 30th. Private and public parties are held for this in dance clubs, outdoors, at people’s houses, etc. In some parts of northern coastal regions of Germany, the custom of lighting huge fires still happens to celebrate the arrival of May, while most parts of Germany have a derived Christianized custom around Easter called Osterfeuer (Easter fires). In rural parts of southern Germany, it’s part of popular youth culture to play pranks such as messing with neighbors’ 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 recent years.

[generationexorcist]

Walpurgis Night.  

Walpurgis Night is the English translation of Walpurgisnacht [valˈpʊʁɡɪsˌnaχt], one of the Dutch and German names for the night of 30 April, so called because it is the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess in Francia. In Germanic folklore, Walpurgisnacht, also called Hexennacht (Dutch: heksennacht), literally "Witches' Night", is believed to be the night of a witches' meeting on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, a range of wooded hills in central Germany between the rivers Weser and Elbe.  The first known written occurrence of the English translation "Walpurgis Night" is from the 19th century. Local variants of Walpurgis Night are observed throughout Europe in the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, and Estonia. In Denmark the tradition with bonfires to fence of the witches going to the Brocken is observed as Saint John's Eve - essentially a midsummer celebration "with witches". Full Article: http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Walpurgis_Night

[phynxrizng]

BELTANE

Beltane

April 30th / May 1

Also known as Roodmas or May Day

Many Wiccans and Pagans celebrate Beltane.  It is one of eight solar Sabbats.  This holiday incorporates traditions from the Gaelic Bealtaine, such as the bonfire, but it bears more relation to the Germanic May Day festival, both in its significance (focusing on fertility) and its rituals (such as May pole dancing).  Some traditions celebrate this holiday on May 1 or May day, whiles others begin their celebration the eve before or April 30th.

Beltane has long been celebrated with feasts and rituals. The name means fire of Bel; Belinos being one name for the Sun God, whose coronation feast we now celebrate. As summer begins, weather becomes warmer, and the plant world blossoms, an exuberant mood prevails.

In old Celtic traditions it was a time of unabashed sexuality and promiscuity where marriages of a year and a day could be undertaken but it is rarely observed in that manner in modern times.

In the old Celtic times, young people would spend the entire night in the woods "A-Maying," and then dance around the phallic Maypole the next morning. Older married couples were allowed to remove their wedding rings (and the restrictions they imply) for this one night. May morning is a magical time for wild water (dew, flowing streams, and springs) which is collected and used to bathe in for beauty, or to drink for health.

The Christian religion had only a poor substitute for the life-affirming Maypole -- namely, the death-affirming cross. Hence, in the Christian calendar, this was celebrated as 'Roodmas'. In Germany, it was the feast of Saint Walpurga, or 'Walpurgisnacht'. An alternative date around May 5 (Old Beltane), when the sun reaches 15 degrees Taurus, is sometimes employed by Covens. (Both 'Lady Day' and 'Ostara' are names incorrectly assigned to this holiday by some modern traditions of Wicca.)

The May pole was a focal point of the old English village rituals. Many people would rise at the first light of dawn to go outdoors and gather flowers and branches to decorate their homes. Women traditionally would braid flowers into their hair. Men and women alike would decorate their bodies.

Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion. Ancient Pagan traditions say that Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desires the Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God.

To celebrate, a wedding feast, for the God and Goddess must be prepared. Let Them guide you! Breads and cereals are popular. Try oatmeal cakes or cookies sweetened with a dab of honey. Dairy foods are again appropriate...just make a lovely wedding feast and you are sure to enjoy yourself! An early morning walk through a local park or forest could be fun for everyone. Gather up some plants or flowers to display in your home. Mom and daughter could braid their hair, and weave in a few tender blossoms.

FOUND IN, INNER CIRCLE.COM

REPOSTED BY, PHYNXRIZNG

[spinayarnindia]

German Legend: Walpurgis Night

Today is a Special day in German mythology , Walpurgisnacht. What is this ? Walpurgis Night, an abbreviation of Saint Walpurgis Night (from the German Sankt Walpurgisnacht , 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. 

This feast commemorates the canonization of Saint Walpurga and the movement of her relics to Eichstätt, both of which occurred on 1 May 870. Saint Walpurga was hailed by the Christians of Germany for battling "pest, rabies and whooping cough, as well as against witchcraft."

In Germanic folklore, Hexennacht (Dutch: heksennacht), literally "Witches' Night", was believed to be the night of a witches' meeting on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, a range of wooded hills in central Germany between the rivers Weser and Elbe.

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. In parts of Christendom, people continue to light bonfires on Saint Walpurga's Eve in order to ward off evil spirits and witches.

Others have historically made Christian pilgrimages to Saint Walburga's tomb in Eichstätt on the Feast of Saint Walburga, often obtaining vials of Saint Walburga's oil.

[eleehamm]

Walpurgisnacht. Witches Night. Eve of Beltane. Eve of Saint Walpurga's Feast Day. The last night of April. We hope it's been a good one. 🌒🔥

[alamio]

willkommen-in-germany: FAUN - Walpurgisnacht (official...

FAUN - Walpurgisnacht (official video)

From the album LUNA. Die Walpurgisnacht is the German name for the night of 30 April, so called because it is the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess in Germania. In Germanic folklore it’s also called Hexennacht (“Witches’ Night”), the night of a witches’ meeting on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, a range of wooded hills in central Northern Germany between the rivers Weser and Elbe. Local variants of Walpurgisnacht are observed across Europe in the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, and Estonia.