Description

Sweden was brought into the Christian Church a long time ago, but those emissaries from Rome did not manage to root out all of the pagan rituals that had been a way of life for the Nordic populace. Quite a few of them still exist in popular form, Walpurgis Night or Valborgsmässoafton being one of them. On April 30 every year, huge bonfires are lit all over Sweden. And although the attendant choirs sing of welcoming the season of spring, the actual purpose of the fires was to scare off witches, sorcerers and demons and send them back to Blåkulla, their mountain refuge on the European continent. These days, Swedes do see the Walpurgis festivities as a celebration of springtime, but there are many who still remember the more frightening aspects of what these rituals once represented. Stockholm's largest Walpurgis celebration is held at the open-air museum of Skansen every year. Ticket prices start at SEK30 depending on the time of admission. To get to Skansen, take bus 47 from Sergels torg.