Walpurgis Night

Walpurgis Night is celebrated from the evening of 30 April into 1 May in Germany, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and other parts of northern and central Europe. Marking the eve of Saint Walpurga’s feast day, it blends Christian and older springtime traditions, with bonfires, dancing, and local rituals to ward off evil and welcome the season.

• Bonfires are lit to ward off evil spirits and witches.
• Celebrated from the evening of 30 April into 1 May.
• In Estonia, students parade through Tartu on volbriöö.
• In the Czech Republic, effigies of witches are burned on bonfires.
• Finland’s Vappu is one of the country’s biggest annual holidays.

What it is

Walpurgis Night is a vibrant festival held on the night of 30 April, leading into the feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century English missionary and abbess. Across northern and central Europe, it is a time when communities gather to light bonfires, dance, and mark the coming of spring. The night is steeped in both Christian reverence for Saint Walpurga—celebrated for her healing and protective powers—and older folk beliefs about warding off evil spirits and witches. For many, it is a joyful, communal event that bridges faith and folklore, bringing people together in the open air as winter gives way to the warmth of May.

Where it comes from

The festival is named after Saint Walpurga, who was born in England around 710 and became a missionary in Germany. She was known for her healing skills and for converting many to Christianity. Her canonization and the transfer of her relics to Eichstätt on 1 May 870 gave rise to her feast day and its eve. Over time, Walpurgis Night became associated with older pre-Christian spring festivals that used bonfires to mark the turning of the seasons. In German folklore, the night was believed to be when witches gathered on hilltops, especially the Brocken in the Harz mountains, prompting villagers to light fires and make noise to protect themselves and their livestock. The festival thus weaves together threads of Christian sainthood and ancient seasonal rites.

How it is celebrated

Celebrations vary by country, but bonfires are at the heart of Walpurgis Night across Europe. In Germany and the Czech Republic, people gather on hillsides to burn large fires, sometimes with effigies of witches, to drive away evil spirits. In the Czech Republic, the night is called 'Burning of the Witches' and is followed by traditions linked to love and spring. Estonians celebrate volbriöö with costumes, street processions, and student festivities, especially in Tartu, where students symbolically take over the city for the night. In Finland, Vappu is one of the year’s biggest holidays, marked by outdoor parties, singing, and the wearing of student caps. Dancing, music, and revelry continue into the early hours, blending the sacred with the playful as communities welcome the new season.

Joining in

If you visit during Walpurgis Night, expect lively gatherings in cities and towns across Germany, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and the Czech Republic. Look for bonfires in parks or on hills, and join locals in singing, dancing, and celebrating outdoors. In Tartu, Estonia, the student parade and festivities are especially spirited. In Finland, Vappu brings crowds to city squares and public spaces. While customs differ, the atmosphere is welcoming, with a sense of shared joy at the arrival of spring. Dress warmly, as the night air can still be brisk, and be ready to join in the communal spirit.

Sources and attribution

This page is Mela's own summary, written in new words. Its facts are drawn from the Wikipedia article Walpurgis Night, whose text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Each photo is credited to its author beside it. For the full account, read the originals below.

Read more

• Walpurgis Night on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data

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