Valborgsmässsoafton
Apr. 30th, 2005 10:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frualeydisToday is valborgsmässoafton, or as it's known in Germany; Walpurgisnacht. This is one of the big party-holidays here in Sweden, all young people getting drunk and having outdoor parties (which it usually is a bit cold for at this time of the year) A lot of universtity student activities also take place, and there is lightning of huge bonfires in every town (In western sweden we traditionally light bonfires on Easter eve, bonfires on Valborg is more an academic tradition, poularized by pro-germanic nationalistic students at the end of the 19th century).
I gave up partying on Valborg c. 15 years ago, realizing that it wasn't worth it to be hung over on the 1st of May demonstrations, which are very important to me, celebrating the working class and our (I'm middle class now, but I was born in the working class) achievements and protesting against wrongs and injustice as well as promoting solidarity between people etc. There also used to be pretty cool 1st of May parties at the different communist parites and at the anarchist/syndicalist organizations. There probably are still, but I'm not much in a partying phase right now. Tomorrow I will sort out t-shirt and jumpers that are too small from Vendela's and Valeria's wardrobe before the demonstration and then I will read a draft of an essay from a student I'm supervising. Hopefully also sew some on my smock, I'm felling the seams on the second gore right now.
Instead of wild partying Anna, Kristian and our family had first a barbecue in the afternoon and then ate pie and apple cake with custard while chatting and relaxing. We ate too much though so my tummy aches from too much food and my mouth aches from too much chewing. And the entire right half of my face is swollen. I look like I have no chin.
Edit: I haven't given up all partying on Valborg, we usually celebrate Beltane then, but our Beltane celebration involves (besides the ritual) eating salad, being outdoors until the middle of the night, a lot of singing and not so much drinking.
I gave up partying on Valborg c. 15 years ago, realizing that it wasn't worth it to be hung over on the 1st of May demonstrations, which are very important to me, celebrating the working class and our (I'm middle class now, but I was born in the working class) achievements and protesting against wrongs and injustice as well as promoting solidarity between people etc. There also used to be pretty cool 1st of May parties at the different communist parites and at the anarchist/syndicalist organizations. There probably are still, but I'm not much in a partying phase right now. Tomorrow I will sort out t-shirt and jumpers that are too small from Vendela's and Valeria's wardrobe before the demonstration and then I will read a draft of an essay from a student I'm supervising. Hopefully also sew some on my smock, I'm felling the seams on the second gore right now.
Instead of wild partying Anna, Kristian and our family had first a barbecue in the afternoon and then ate pie and apple cake with custard while chatting and relaxing. We ate too much though so my tummy aches from too much food and my mouth aches from too much chewing. And the entire right half of my face is swollen. I look like I have no chin.
Edit: I haven't given up all partying on Valborg, we usually celebrate Beltane then, but our Beltane celebration involves (besides the ritual) eating salad, being outdoors until the middle of the night, a lot of singing and not so much drinking.