This is a big holiday here in Sweden!! I'm lucky this year I am off from work!! May 1 is a big day too for everyone that is working o has worked!! May Day
or international workersday!! No help for me I have to work!! But am gong to enjoy my day off today!! Maybe start the grill and do something yummy for dinner? and celebrate Walpurgis,, hehe
All is well after the weekend!! Slept it away mostly!! Hubby washed the boat and waxed it so its all ready to be put in the water tomorrow,, Weather seems to be very nice all week so I will be enjoying my days off!! tomorrow night is a work night for me and then friday and saturday!! But thats life!!
Heres alittle info from Wikipedia about how May 1st is celebrated here!!
May 1 has been an important part of Swedish history since the late 19th century. The day was made a
public holiday in 1938 but had been celebrated by the
Swedish Social Democratic Party and the left since 1890. The first May Day celebration gathered more than 50.000 people in central Stockholm. The crowd went to hear speeches by the leading figures in the
Swedish labour movement such as
Hjalmar Branting (later
prime minister),
August Palm and
Hinke Bergegren. During
World War I the demonstrations mainly had a peace message and the
Liberal Party also joined the demonstrations. The
8-hour working day and
women's suffrage were the principal themes during the troubled times after World War I. When the Social Democratic Party won the election in 1932 they started an era of social democratic rule that wasn't broken until the election in 1976, when a centre-right coalition came to power after nearly 50 years in opposition.
The May Day demonstrations are still an important part of Swedish politics and the leaders of the social democratic and left-wing parties use May Day to discuss their politics. In Stockholm the Social Democratic Party always marches towards
Norra Bantorget, the centre of the Swedish labour movement, to hold speeches in front of the headquarters of the
Swedish Trade Union Confederation.
And Walpugis night! Info also from Wikipedia!
Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht) is a traditional
spring festival on 30 April or 1 May in large parts of
Central and
Northern Europe. It is often celebrated with dancing and with
bonfires. It is exactly six months from
All Hallows' Eve.
The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after the English missionary
Saint Walpurga (ca. 710–777/9). As Walburga was canonized on 1st of May (ca. 870), she became associated with
May Day, especially in the Finnish and
Swedish calendars.
[1][2] The eve of May day, traditionally celebrated with dancing, came to be known as
Walpurgisnacht ("Walpurga's night"). The name of the holiday is
Walpurgisnacht in
German and
Dutch,
Valborgsmässoafton in
Swedish,
Vappu in
Finnish,
Volbriöö, (
Walpurgi öö) in
Estonian,
Valpurgijos naktis in
Lithuanian,
Valpurģu nakts or
Valpurģi in
Latvian,
čarodějnice or
Valpuržina noc in
Czech,
chódotypalenje Lower Sorbian and
chodojtypalenje in
Upper Sorbian.
SO ALL Have a good week and I shall return,, hehe with motorcycle adventures I am sure!!
BUG HUGS!!!!
