#WorthRevisit: Walpurgis Night

All Hallow's Eve is fast approaching and I honestly feel like this fun holiday get's a lot of bad press! All Hallow's Eve is a day and night to prepare for All Saint's Day. You honestly can't have one celebration without the other! For my post for the great #WorthRevisit linkup with Theology is a Verb and Reconciled to You, I chose another feast day that often gets some bad connotations: Walpurgis Night. Walpurgis night was also a former pagan holiday, just as many other holidays before it. It is now known for a day to prepare for the rebirth of the Earth, also known as Spring. Halloween is to All Saint's Day as Walpurgis Night is to May Day. Check out my post earlier this week about Seven Ways to Have a Very Catholic Halloween.
I hope you enjoy:

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Walpurgis Night

First... I am so sorry it took this long to get this post completed. I actually had this almost done and just forgot to post it! Oops! Mommy brain strikes again!

Saint Walpurga's feast day is May 1st but it is more celebrated on it's Eve on April 30th. She is the patron saint against storms, plagues and famine. Walpurgis Night is celebrated mostly in Europe in Germany. We celebrated with a fire inside since we are still getting snow... but it is a tradition to have a bonfire. I have to be completely honest here, I COMPLETELY mom failed our feast day plans. Originally, I wanted to roast some hotdogs and s'mores but I didn't think to double check to make sure we had all the ingredients. We have been on a clean eating menu so we have not been keeping hotdogs, chocolate or other sweet or processed foods in the household. Thankfully, my boys were so forgiving and didn't hold it against me what I had to break the news. I ended up having to make chicken strips and hot chocolate.

May Wine is a traditional drink served on this night or in celebration of May Day as well. If you click the link it will take you to a website that describes May Wine and gives you a pretty basic recipe if you are interested in trying something new this springtime! I personally haven't had the pleasure of trying this drink out yet but I certainly intend to this Mother's Day! Walpurgis Night is the beginning of all the May Day celebrations and often leads to May Crownings or other spring time celebrations.

I actually tried doing some research on this fun feast day and had a hard time finding information. I did find that Walpurgis Night was connected to a pagan celebration involving witches but obviously that is not what I want my children to associate this amazing saint with so if any of you know anything more about customs or traditions about this feast day I would love to hear about them!

Here is a great prayer asking for her intercession:

O holy St. Walburga, you most pure bride of Christ, from your very childhood your innocent heart was dedicated to God, and you did endeavor by fervent prayer and constant watchfulness to keep yourself pure and undefiled. Do you help me to keep the bright example of your innocence ever before my mind. You are now in heaven, in the company those virgins who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Pray for me, O holy virgin, that I may esteem chastity above all else, that I may rather lose all things than commit a grievous sin against the holy virtue. Protect me in every danger. Grant that under your patronage and the protection of my heavenly mother Mary and my holy Guardian Angel, I may courageously overcome very temptation, and may preserve the wedding garment of innocence, pure and undefiled, and may see and enjoy God eternally with you and all pure souls. Amen

Saint Walpurga, pray for us!