Today, I went to celebrate Valborg in Uppsala. On the Facebook event for Valborg in Uppsala, it was intended to have 8000 people to attend within the three days of celebration. I had a massive headache the night before, so I couldn’t focus on anything or even going to the event! People were excited and preparing for this event that no one really cared about my really serious problem, really it was! They offered me alcohol instead as their way to fix my complaining of my head almost exploding. Valborg is a celebration of the long, cold winter to be over and welcoming the new warmer days up ahead. In the 8th century, they build fires to ward off evil or witches, ensure fertility, and cleanse the dries and dead of winter, but now the Swedes don’t often ward off witches, instead they cherish it by celebrating better and warmer days for the spring and summer.
Valborg is celebrated the biggest in either Uppsala or Lund, the two major student cities in Sweden. Many websites say that there should be music and nice Swedes singing songs and making a good atmosphere. I didn’t really expect much because I didn’t know what it was about, it was just hyped up to be a huge party with 8000 people. It felt like 8000 people alright plus a whole lot of rubbish up to your ankles! It was filthy and people were drunk and weird. I’ve never been to big festivals or sitting concerts, so I’ve never seen so many people in the same place drinking and eating throwing trash wherever they want. They made their version of the bonfire to ward off witches too! Someone started a fire using blankets that people have left behind after their BBQ and lit it on fire. They took 5 to 10 blankets every 5 minutes because there were that many of them! Even thew in plastic bags. I went there in the afternoon, so I missed some of the activities in the morning and then in the evening, there are supposedly huge parties. Ehh, I’m not so interested and thrilled about it. I went to the train by myself and met my German/Portuguese friend. Laughed the whole way, playing volleyball in the train (we found it) and came into conclusion to what I have in my head that has been making me so ill..an alien that has implanted some babies on the right side of my head behind my ear. I don’t have a headache anymore, but I have sharp pains once in a while or when I laugh or talk to hard. All in all, Valborg in Uppsala was ehhh.
Since I just came back from visiting my friends in Prague, I want to let you know that they also celebrate this tradition too. On April 30th, Czech Republic has an old tradition of the “burning of the witches” after their Easter tradition of using branches and whipping the women! Anyway, Czechs usually build bonfires too to symbolize getting rid of the cold weather and the witches. Their tradition is to make a cross and put some sort of clothing on the straws and as the witches spirits come in nightfall, they throw in the witches that they have made. As the witches burn, so does the last of the winter’s chill which brings forward the new spring weather.
Happy Witch Burning Day!
From Sweden,
Dandelion Traveler
dandeliontraveler 