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Happy Walpurgis Night!

It is the 30th of April, the night before the Feast of Walpurga, AKA Walpurgisnacht. Walpurga was an 8th C English missionary to Germany, and that’s enough about her, because it’s mere coincidence that she was canonized on the 1st of May.

Walpurgis Night is the Germanic version of Beltane or May Day. It’s halfway between Spring equinox and Midsummer. A remnant of pagan “welcome Spring!” celebrations. But with witches and bonfires.

I burned some shit in the garden tonight, but for the comfort and safety of my neighbors, I kept my blouse on.

Comments


Comment from Nina
Time: April 30, 2014, 11:46 pm

Man, here in CA nobody would have thought twice if you had gone skyclad and let the girls fly.

You probably would have got cited for the polluting bonfire, however.


Comment from Stark Dickflüssig
Time: May 1, 2014, 5:39 am

I, uh, lit a piece of composition flooring on fire. Whatever they’re using for binder these days doesn’t burn for shit.


Comment from Mojo
Time: May 1, 2014, 5:48 am

Widdershins is counter-clockwise, I think.


Comment from caseyreno
Time: May 1, 2014, 12:22 pm

Unfortunately there’s been an serious lack of interest in celebrating the “cross quarter days” – except for All Hallows’ Eve, of course. Pity


Comment from Stark Dickflüssig
Time: May 1, 2014, 1:46 pm

You know, for witches they sure are skinny, & they don’t seem very inclined to lecture on vegetarianism. I suspect they’re just models dressed up to look like witches.


Comment from Uncle Badger
Time: May 1, 2014, 9:02 pm

Mojo – you’re right. It does.

caseyreno: agreed. They can be quite difficult for the urban mind to relate to, though, but then so can the equinoxes and solstices, which mean everything in terms of daylight but (at least here, in the UK) little in terms of the seasons. Anyone assuming 21st December is mid-winter is in for a nasty surprise!


Comment from Mojo
Time: May 1, 2014, 10:56 pm

Mid-winter x cos(lat) perhaps, UB?


Comment from David Gillies
Time: May 5, 2014, 8:30 pm

More to do with the lagging effect of a big heatsink in the form of the Atlantic ocean.

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