Happy Beltane!


April 30th is a day steeped in tradition in Sweden. We call it Valborgsmässoafton (Valborg's Mass Eve) and it's tradition to light big bonfires and students put their graduation caps on and sing songs welcoming spring. Something about scaring witches away as well, I believe, but we're not that easily scared. There's Walpurgisnacht in Germany as well, but not exactly what the traditions are there, but I'm guessing it probably has the same Pagan roots as Valborg does.

On Beltane, the Wiccan tradition is that the God is a young man who meets and falls in love with the Goddess. They unite, and she becomes pregnant. In nature, animal babies are starting to take their first gentle steps into the new, green world. Bonfires are traditional, especially leaping across them, to ensure fertility during the year.

This is the sort of thing that'll be happening
back home in Sweden roundabout now.
Here, the magnolia has already finished.

As I've had a fever and a cold the past week, there's no real chance of me jumping over anything, except maybe breakfast (... okay, no, admittedly that joke works better in Swedish). But, there are other reasons to jump. It's my third wedding anniversary. :) When we were trying to set a date, I phoned the registry office with a list of different dates, as I wanted it to be a "special" date, so preferably one of the Pagan holidays. First one on the list was April 30, and they said it was free, so I didn't even have to check the rest!

The irony is that some years later, we found out that it was also the wedding date chosen by a certain genocidal, Austrian-born dictator who would celebrate his new-found marital bliss by committing suicide in a German bunker. He too had had chosen it because it was a "significant" date. Kinda puts a damper on things.

Still, in this house, it's our day, not anyone elses'. And we're planning on having a good day. So I wish you too have a good day and a wonderful Beltane. Hopefully the weather holds up!

Comments

  1. Happy wedding anniversary!

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  2. Happy Anniversary, Traxy! I'm so sorry to hear you've been sick, hope you are 100% soon!

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  3. Happy Anniversary Traxy! It was a beautiful choice for a wedding date -- nevermind anyone else! I hope you feel better soon! I am trying to get rid of a cough that is over a month old now! (bleh!)

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  4. Happy Anniversary Traxy!
    Take care:)

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  5. Congratulations on your third anniversary! I think it's cool that you purposely picked a pagan day, and forget about having to share your day...lovely photos.

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  6. Happy Anniversary and many more!

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  7. Thanks everyone! :) My mum sent an MMS with a picture of their magnolia tree in the week, and it's now in bloom - just like on the photo above, which I took years ago!

    Hope you feel better soon, Phylly. No fun being ill. My throat is still painful but the docs said the virus would have a life cycle of 10-14 days and today is day 10 and the throat starting to feel a little better so hopefully not contagious anymore. Just fed up with being in pain and not being able to kiss my husband! Plan is to try going to work tomorrow and see how that goes.

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