Walpurgis Night and the Patron Saint of Rabies

That was last night. Today is May Day which follows Walpurgis Night. Don't get all crazy because it is also International Workers Day.  Two different things entirely and we should consider this day for what it is not get all political about it.  Getting quasi religious about it and totally pagan about it is quite enough for a morning thank you.

May Day is pretty much a celebration of spring; dancing around the MayPole and all that stuff.  The night before is the big night for northern Europeans especially. Think All Saints Day and All Hallows Eve and in this case Walpurgis Night and May Day - half a year apart.

Walpurgis Night is named after St. Walpurga who was canonized on May 1 somewhere about 780AD, and her niche "tomb" of sorts was said to have miraculous healing powers in the water seeping from the rocks, somehow or another she morphed in the rabies thing - probably because that disease was fatal and horrible and hopefully she had some powers in that area.

On Walpurgis night, very much like on All Hallows Eve, tradition had and has it that bonfires are lit and the peasants roam the streets with torches; probably to keep the spirits underground and not wander around and mess things up.  Obviously Halloween (all Hallows Eve - all that are holy's eve) is a bit more grounded in religion rather than a May day spring thing but the evening before May Day was a time of witches and spirits and the devil himself.

So happy May Day or Walpurgis Day and congrats on surviving Walpurgis Night.  Keep those bonfires ready.