Walpurgis Night / May Day: is it actually a holiday in some countries?

[Dick Sirloin]

Eurofags, speak up. I've heard that this is actually a bank holiday in places. If there IS an actual celebration, on what scale is it? As big as Halloween? Half as big as Halloween? What happens? I'm genuinely interested for some reason.

 

[lurch70]

it's Labor Day in Europe ... if you're a good Communist you march.

... wait for Cinco de Mayo

 

[Tranquillian]

In Sweden Valborgmässoafton is not a holiday, but 1st of May is.
On Valborgsmässoafton (30th of april) people light huge bonfires and fireworks. It used to be the best day for firecrackers until all firecrackers were banned forever like 5 years ago. Yep, that's right. Noone can sell or buy firecrackers in Sweden anymore.

It is traditionally a night of people getting really drunk, especially young people who drink for the first time (first holiday of the year where it is warm enough to drink outside).

 

[einride]

It is traditionally a night of people getting really drunk, especially young people who drink for the first time (first holiday of the year where it is warm enough to drink outside).

did this y-day

 

[Hell Mike]

did this y-day

not for the first time braggart

 

[Dick Sirloin]

So it's generally an excuse to get drunk. Nice.

 

[einride]

literally every holiday in sweden is an excuse to get drunk because if you get drunk on any other days you are a raging alcoholic and should probably be locked up

 

[Hell Mike]

literally every holiday in sweden is an excuse to get drunk because if you get drunk on any other days you are a raging alcoholic and should probably be locked up

That's not just in sweden though?
At least half the holidays are for the kiddies and not proper to get drunk at imo tho so the generalization fails for us small kiddie parents.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

So all the old traditional German shit about demons and spirits and whatnot is more or less forgotten? I thought it was like Halloween 2 or something, but it sounds more like y'all's version of Cinco De Mayo.....

 

[Hell Mike]

So all the old traditional German shit about demons and spirits and whatnot is more or less forgotten? I thought it was like Halloween 2 or something, but it sounds more like y'all's version of Cinco De Mayo.....

For those of us not in the glorious land of Ungdomsfylla, this is what happens:

* Fika and general chitchat and a lottery and stuff like that at bygdegården
* a great big fire is lit
* kids shoot firecrackers and stuff, preferably where they're not supposed to. When I was little, I blasted an anthill to smithereens, and then cried for hours when mom explained to me that I just blew up the ants' home.
* people sing traditional spring is coming-quire songs badly by the fire
* go home and wrestle the kids down for the evening and/or go to some other family's place and get buzzed while the kids play themselves to sleep

that's pretty much it

 

[lurch70]

Sounds like ... Saturday.

 

[einride]

the best thing to do is to get slightly drunk at home and listen to bathory and then go out and just look at a big ol fire then go home and sleep (stopping for a french hot dog on the way (americans dont know about french hot dogs))

 

[Dick Sirloin]

What the hell is "fika"?

 

[Tranquillian]

Fika basically translates to the act of having a cup of coffee and maybe some cookies/cakes in good company.

 

[lurch70]

is it fuka if it's bad company?

 

[Blind Guardian]

 

[Hell Mike]

the best thing to do is to get slightly drunk at home and listen to bathory and then go out and just look at a big ol fire then go home and sleep (stopping for a french hot dog on the way (americans dont know about french hot dogs))

this is true for all days