We celebrated the arrival of Spring today. That is what Valborgsmässoafton/Walpurgis Night stands for in this country. Thousands of bonfires burn all over Sweden as people gather around the fires talking and drinking. A choir sings a few songs about Spring as the kids run around or eat candy. I stopped at two such bonfires this cold and very windy Walpurgis Night. The fire in Tungelsta had already burned out when I got there on the Steel Horse so I pedalled five kilometres against the strong wind to the bonfire at Kyrkbacken in Västerhaninge where a few hundred people had gathered, including a couple of fire-fighters that kept an eye on the big bonfire. The fire was moved the evening before to give the local hedgehogs a chance to survive. The church in the background is the Medieval church in Västerhaninge.
7 comments:
Always a reason to made a fire. Is it not for one then for another.
Peculiar, but cool!
That reminds me I've some garden stuff that needs burning. I like a good bonfire.
So, was it worth the hard pedaling? The photos are great if a bit jarring. I hate to see all that smoke befouling the air but it happens all over the world and the US is one of the worst smokers of all! I think a nice beer in a nice warm pub would be a really good way to celebrate the arrival of spring! :)
Well I am going to have to clean all my clothes, and the camera bag as well as everything really smells from all that smoke. Celebrating Spring at the pub sounds like cheating...
Goodness well done Steffe, you were a determined man! It's an interesting custom, one that would definitely not go down well here, but I guess you have enough wet weather to keep the fires from getting out of control.
Looks like this event draws a large crowd of people to celebrate. Judging from what they are wearing, the weather wasn't quite spring-like yet.
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