Trevligt Valborg och första Maj!

One of the most interesting things to me when experiencing a new culture is getting to know what their holidays and traditions are all about.

Well, we experienced a new one yesterday.

Ever heard of Valborg? Walpurgis night? sista April?

It is a holiday with pagan origins (aren’t they all, really?) that, along with Midsummer, is very important in the Swedish calendar.

Valborg is celebrated on the last day of April (sista April), marking the beginning of spring by holding a huge bonfire to chase away the dark spirits of winter. As with most things Swedish, there will also be some singing and perhaps even a little bit of drinking.

To celebrate Valborg, we went down to the ‘Kampus’ to see the bonfire. We were actually surprised how big it was, in size and popularity. It was a cold, damp and muddy night, but so many people, especially families, were out to celebrate. There were performances by choirs, bands, and a fire show.

Valborg is one of the ‘de facto half holidays’ of Sweden which is usually recognized at my workplace by the sudden absence of all Swedish people around 2pm. Apparently on a ‘de facto half holiday’ you work ¾ of the day because it is the day before a major holiday. And you are thinking: “wait? I thought Valborg was the holiday, how can it be only a half holiday?” Well that is because May 1 is a holiday as well, which is called, appropriately, ‘första Maj’ (May 1). This was also a surprise to me, as I was planning to do a lot of shopping for gifts to take back to Canada with me when we go next week, and now, since it is första Maj everything is closed. Since most stores are normally closed on Sundays and evenings, it looks like next week I will have to take a ‘de facto half holiday’ of my own just to do some shopping!