Valborg

Yesterday was Valborg. But, like all Swedish holidays, the celebration was the night before. Valborg night is celebrated in a bunch of different European countries. It's named after a saint but the Swedish traditions all relate to the pagan celebrations. It celebrates the beginning of spring and getting rid of evil (witches, in particular).

We had a barbecue with leftovers from Kathy's party on Monday. It was really cold out - about 5 Celsius (which is low 40s F) - but we grilled outside anyway. Here are some of the girls (freezing!).After the barbecue, a large group of us went to a bonfire in a park (see picture above). There were choirs singing songs and a guy telling traditional stories. We were warming ourselves by the fire.Yesterday was Labor Day in Sweden. I think every political party (there are 8 or 9 of them) has a rally and/or parade. I didn't check any of these out. I had labwork to do and it was too cold out to spend the entire afternoon outside.