Walpurgisnacht and Beltane Sabbats
Pagan Spring May Day Festival Celebrated by Celts and Germans
Apr 27, 2009
Some Pagans have Beltane or Walpurgisnacht festivities beginning on April 30; others celebrate it on May 1. The Celtic and Germanic traditions celebrate fertility and abundance, present or to come. Eclectic rites of spring and feast combine both traditions.
The Walpurgisnacht Celebration
This ancient Pagan celebration is closely related to the Celtic solar festival, Beltane.
Walpurgisnacht is one of the major Fire Festivals celebrated by German Pagans to celebrate spring. It’s a celebration of fertility on the night of April 30.
The Brocken, highest peak in the Harz Mountain chain, was considered the place where “witches” gathered for the festivities. Today, Pagans celebrate this festival on mountaintops with dancing, singing and feasting according to each ones’ traditions and beliefs.
In Bavaria, where the festival is called Freinacht or Drudennacht, the young people celebrate with mild mischief like decorating cars with toilet paper.
The Beltane Festival
It’s the festival of fertility and purification by fire which was ceremonial purification and healing. Livestock are driven between two fires. After the rite was done, the animals were taken to higher pastures where new grass was growing.
There was the traditional dance around the Maypole, May dolls, hoop-shaped garlands and bathing in dew collected on May First. After the rites, there was a feast, a blessing of plenty.
Beltane/Walpurgisnacht Celebration
The altar cloth and candles are hunter’s green. Adorning the altar are spring flowers, a daisy chain and garlands. Those attending the celebration give thanks for abundance.
Walk and delight in spring’s in full beauty. Create May Baskets filled with flowers and give them to friends, loved ones and those in long term health care facilities. Dance and sing. Bless gardens and house plants.
Beltane/Walpurgisnacht Feast Recipes
Traditional foods are dairy items symbolizing life’s the sweetness, greens, barley, strawberries and May wine. Recipes include:
- Parmesan/Romano Popcorn - Pop 5 cups of popcorn. Mix thoroughly with 3 tablespoons of melted margarine and 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan and Romano cheese.
- Chicken, Sausage and Barley Stew - Brown 1 pound of ground sausage and 1 medium chopped onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of sage and 1 teaspoon of thyme. Drain fat. Add 1 skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces, 2 medium sliced carrots, 2 celery ribs or 1 teaspoon of celery seed, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 1 cup of pearl barley and 3 cups of water. Boil. Cook over low heat for 45 minutes or until barley is done, adding water as needed.
- Oven Roasted Brussels Sprout and Carrots - Cut 3 cups of Brussels sprouts into bite-sized pieces. Peel and diagonally slice 4 carrots. Put into casserole and add ¼ cup of sliced Kalamata olives and 4 tablespoons of diced walnuts. Toss with olive oil to coat. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, stirring once, until browned.
- Mayonnaise French Dressing - Blend together ½ cup of catsup, ½ cup of salad dressing, ¼ cup of vinegar, ¼ c sugar or artificial sweetener to equal this and 3/4 cup of salad oil. Refrigerate overnight. Serve over mixed greens, sliced shallots and tangerines or grapefruit.
- Strawberry/OrangeDessert - Hull and slice 1 quart strawberries into bite-sized pieces. Peel and seed 3 oranges; cut into bite-sized pieces. Add orange juice to coat if desired. Mix together and refrigerate overnight.
- May Wine Punch - Boil 3 ½ cups of water. Add 1 1/2 cups of puréed strawberries or raspberries, 1 cup of honey, 4 quarts each rosé and sparkling burgundy. Blend well.
Related Articles
Readers may also enjoy Beltane, Pagan Spring Celebration along with German Pagan Roots: Walpurgisnacht and May Day Traditions and Pagan May Day Festival - Beltane.
Sources:
- The Celtic Druid’s Year, John King, (A Blandford Book, 1995).
- The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, (Checkmark Books, 1999).
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