It is almost May 1st. This is the day when we step through the portal of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. As always, there is much to learn from the ways of our ancestors in shaping the present moment. Our acts, emotions, and expressions in the present moment are what feed into the future, and can shape either something that feels hopeful or something that is a never-ending source of anxiety.

Below you will find some ancient practices and interesting stories from our Scandinavian and German ancestors. We celebrate on the eve of April 30th. The night is the portal and on May 1st we have stepped through and summer has begun.

Happy Beltane! Happy start of summer! Happy Valborgaften! Happy Walpurgisnacht!

May (no pun intended) all the writing below bring you joy, make you smile here and there and offer you inspiration for celebrating this sacred day. We take no responsibility for any choices you make!

Another Danish word for Valborgaften, which is Beltane, is Voldermisse. Misse is the mass of the Christian church. Volder means 'the cause of'. This latter is very interesting! It's as if all our acts on this joyful night directly help cause summer.

The night of April 30th to May 1st is the portal to summer. On this night the dreams of the earth become the lush growth of the budding summer. We let loose and let go throughout the night and are reborn into summer.

This feast night and day stands opposite Samhain / All Hallows on the spokes of the wheel of the year. These two portals are said to be times when the veils between the worlds are especially thin. During Beltane, we can collect morning dew and wash our eyes and third eye with it, so that we may see beyond the veil.

This night and day is an important festival of love and imitates May, a whole month dedicated to love. Many people get married during this time and the Christian church dedicates prayers to the Mother of God throughout the whole month. This is also known as the Marienmonat in German, the month of Mother Mary.

The night of Walpurgis / Valborg unifies us with the energies of life, joy, and the unconditional love of the mother.

The month of May in Germany is also known as the Wonnemonat or Wunnemanot. The word Wonne is to the old German word Wunnia. This in turn sounds very much like the rune Wynja! The meaning of all these words is Joy.

In some places, wedding vows were said to be invalid on the eve of celebration. After all, acts of love were needed to help boost the fertility of the earth and open the portal to summer. Babies made on this night were supposedly very special and sacred.

Already hundreds of years ago, a Christian priest complained that of all the girls that went into the forest on this night, only a 3rd returned with their honor intact. There are still some people alive in Scandinavia today who remember this night of celebration from their youth.

In the South of Germany, you can see Maypoles all across villages and towns. When one needs replacement, it is put up on May 1st. Before then, the pole was protected by a group made up of the unmarried men of the village. They invite others to join and help them protect the pole from being stolen by another village. Protection of the pole often turns into nighttime festivities and some babies are made during this time. If another village manages to steal the pole, it has to be 'bought' back with a feast of food and barrels of beer.

The Maypole is a symbol of the sacred marriage between heaven and earth. A wreath blessed by the church hangs at the top. The pole is polished to a smooth finish and painted blue and white. During the May festivities, the union of unmarried men invites unmarried women to dance traditional dances around the pole. This is followed by ceremonial gunshots into the sky and feasting and festivities for the whole village. All organization is the responsibility of the local union of unmarried men.

There are legends and old records of witches traveling to the witches' sabbath on the German Blacksberg on this night. They would invite men to their ungodly revelries. This sounds very similar to the nightly festivities that take place around the Maypole, only here it is the men that invite the women.

If we find ourselves living in places where these traditions are not happening, we can celebrate by either going to a party or hosting one! Invite family and friends, make music, play music, eat and drink, and dance. If making love is not an option, loving hugs and words of appreciation are an amazing way to connect with the energies of this night.

A very important tradition on Valborgaften across Scandinavia is the lighting of a bonfire. People feast, drink, dance, and let loose. At one point or another, some might disappear into the forest for a while to help bring fertility and abundance to the earth. Depending on where you are in Scandinavia, the fire on the eve of April 30th is the most important one. In other places, it is the fire of summer solstice.

From April 30th until the summer solstice, the magical powers of playfulness, growth, health, fertility, and light are said to be the strongest. For this reason, many healing herbs and magical herbs are collected during this time, with extra focus on collecting on the eve of April 30th the longest day of the summer solstice.

Because the healing and growing energies are said to be so strong during this time, these nights are also the ones where springs and wells are most often frequented. We can come to the waters to heal and nourish our bodies during these important portal nights.

A delicious recipe is to roast young birch leaves in a little oil. Add some salt and use in salads, or as delicious decoration on any main course.

Collecting the young birch leaves and drying them makes for a delicious healing tea. Drinking the tea of these leaves on the darkest days of winter helps ingest the energies of the light and reminds us of the spring that will return.

We hope you enjoy this fun magical list of Walpurgisnacht magic. If you missed this year's Beltane ritual, don't worry! We've got you. Access our free and risk-free trial today to experience a full ritual based on ancient traditions. Inside of the Magic is the Key membership we journey through the entire Wheel of the Year and have special members-only live rituals on every new moon and full moon. This way we bring the wisdom of our ancestors into our lives. Our library is always growing. Beyond the live events, we add effective magical courses and practices every week. Sign up for our newsletter below to receive a 30% forever discount on top of the free trial.