30 Apr Walpurgis or ‘Valborg’ in Uppsala
Posted at 11:08h
in Journal
The 30th of April, Walpurgis Eve – referred to as ‘Sista april’ or ‘Valborg’ in Swedish – is the celebration of spring arriving in Sweden.
Each year, crowds gather in many Swedish cities to celebrate Valborg, an ancient festival heralding the arrival of spring and commemorating St Walburga, an 8th Century Christian missionary known for fighting witchcraft. Valborg in Uppsala (Sweden’s fourth city) is a particularly big and popular celebration. In Uppsala it is also the largest student event of the year with the Donning of the Caps at Carolina Rediviva, student floats running the Fyris River, singing at the Gunilla Bell Tower and much more.