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Walpurgis Night and the Brocken
The eve of May, when in German tradition witches were thought to gather on the Brocken and bonfires and noise were used to drive them away.
About Walpurgis Night and the Brocken
Walpurgis Night, on 30 April, is named for St Walpurga, an English missionary in Germany. Folk belief in central Europe held that witches flew to the Brocken, the highest peak of the Harz mountains, to meet the devil on this night, a story made famous by Goethe's Faust. People lit fires, rang bells, cracked whips, and put crosses or thorny branches at doors and stables to keep witches away. Today the Harz towns hold a costumed festival, and Sweden, Finland and Estonia celebrate Valborg or Vappu with bonfires and student parties. Pagan groups sometimes link the date with Beltane, though the German custom has its own history, bound up with the later idea of the witches' sabbath.
Also part of it, and being written: Walpurgis Night (The festival and its folklore.), Brocken (The mountain of the witches' gathering.), Witches' Sabbath (The idea of a witches' meeting.), Bonfire (The fires lit against witches.).
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Walpurgis Night" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family, and are described as belief and practice. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.