Valborgsmässoafton

It's the evening of April 30th, for most people in North America this is just another night. In Sweden it's a reason to light a fire. Valborgsmässoafton, which has been celebrated in Sweden since the Middle Ages, is one of two Swedish holidays which still resemble their pre-Christian merrymaking. The other is Midsummer.

The guys at work suggested I head to Skansen, to check out the bonfire. This fire did not disappoint. When I arrived, there was still plenty of daylight, and already there was a large crowd gathering. I stood around, listened to Mikaeli Chamber Choir, and made sure I found a prime location to catch the lighting of the fire. Around 9pm a parade of people showed up with torches, shortly afterwards they lit the fire. It was big fire and hot fire. So hot, at one point I had to step back for fear of my coat melting. You can find more pictures here.

The view of the city from Skansen was just great.