Valborg - The Swedish Walpurgis Night

Valborg is celebrated on the 30th of April in Sweden, and it is the analog of German Walpurgis Night. It is the magical evening when bonfires are fired all over Sweden - on the lawns or the water. The tradition was brought to Sweden by Germans in medieval times, but nowadays, it has an entirely Swedish vibe.

Valborg in Limhamn, Malmö. The 30th of April, 2023

The first time I saw this huge bonfire in the Öresund was last spring when we just arrived in Skåne, the southernmost region of Sweden. There was a big gathering on the strand. Children were running all over the coast and even in the water though it was cold enough (Öresund is cold even in summer, as I noticed later 🙂 ). The choir sang traditional Swedish songs, and the sun was setting into the sea - a fantastic sight. So this year, I knew what to expect.

There were few options where to celebrate Valborg around Malmö, but we chose the same location as the previous year - at Öresund coast at Limhamn, with the view of the beautiful bridge and amazing sunset. It was announced as a place where "the sun kisses the Öresund."

I don't know the exact number of people visiting the celebration, but when you approach the location, you see an impressive gathering of people of all ages: kids with families, adult couples, and of course, students who are actively engaged in the celebrations. You can't miss the place even if you didn't see the announcement 🙂

We came with our friends, who have been living in Sweden for many years. The coir sang beautifully, and the strong wind from the sea accompanied their songs. Children didn't get into the water this year because it was very cold. Some of us even wore winter jackets, but Valborg is the time after which the warm weather usually comes. And this expectation and hope warmed us during the evening by the sea.

In the old days, the bonfires were made of leaves and twigs from the spring garden cleaning. Today, it was sourced by the city's utility and lit by the professionals 😎 All under the close supervision of children watching the process and playing on the beach.

Every time we turned our heads towards the setting sun, it resulted in taking tonnes of photos, no one of which could convey the beauty of the moment. Magical location! If I only could visit many locations in one evening... Because I don't really want to miss this beautiful sunset next time, but at the same time it would be interesting to see another type of celebration somewhere on the ground in the park or forest.

Some lucky people watched the show from the sea on the boats. I can only imagine how cold it was there and how exciting it felt.

And finally, the bonfire was lit! Just at the time it was announced in the schedule. Swedes are very punctual. Though the bonfire in Limhamn wasn't the biggest in Sweden (I saw pictures and compared them 🙂) it was beautiful!

After the show, children had fun playing and running on lawns because they had an exceptional opportunity to not go to bed when they usually do. They like such kinds of late evening activities.

 And I like this beautiful celebration of spring in the fresh air, full of Scandinavian charm and love for nature.

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