Living in Finland for the past year has taught me that Vappu, the Finnish celebration on the first of May is taken very seriously, especially among students. It is the day of the workers and the students and I am looking forward to taking part in the Vappu this year. But, May first is not a day of celebration in Finland only, also in Germany it is considered the day of the workers and an official state holiday. How it is celebrated differs a bit from region to region within Germany, but most well-known might be the expression of “Dance into May”, which is also known under the name of Walpurgis Night and happens on the eve of April 30.
For many people, the celebration has lost its religious origin and, especially young people, take the occasion as a chance to dance through the night. In many towns the so-called maypoles, which are decorated trees or tree trunks, are erected as part of the dance festivities. Especially in the South of Germany, the buildup of the maypole has its own celebrations with (in fulfillment with many clichés) a lot of beer and sausages while the tree is decorated by the people. Maypoles come in many different sizes and colours, ranging from either bigger trees set in the town square or smaller ones created by one neighborhood and installed in a private garden. Probably the biggest maypole is erected in the small Bavarian town Eicherloh and measures more than 57 meters. A sweet tradition in some of those, especially smaller villages, is that young men will build small maypoles in front of the houses of the women they are dating or hoping to date.
Of course, there are also the dances which are much more closely related to the spiritual beginnings of the Walpurgis Night. The most famous one happens on the Brocken, or also known under the name Blocksberg, which is the highest mountain of the central German uplands, the Harz. The origins of the Walpurgis celebration can be led back to pre-Christian times in which the people of the Harz came together for their spring celebrations. Today, the night is still lit up by countless fires which aim to dispel the evil spirits. The dancing cannot be missed here either, but do not be surprised if you encounter some witches in the crowd. It is also known as the night of the witches, made popular by Goethe’s Faust, and the Blocksberg is their place to meet.
If you are not one for big crowds and dancing, you can always take part in the May-hikes. The first of May has become a date on which many leave their houses to go hiking in small groups. They are not always an escape from the festivities, as the tours often times lead from celebration to celebration, but many take their own food and drinks and enjoy the quietness of nature and the first warmth of spring.
As May is only a breath away, all that is left for me to say is to wish you all a happy dance into spring!