Walpurgisnacht Old German Customs

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Old Walpurgisnacht Customs in Germany
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Beside the maypole dances, bonfires and witches gatherings at the "Brocken", the highest mountain at Harz/Germany there are a few other customs as well.
Winters in Germany were long and hard for peasants who farmed. It is no wonder that people celebrated the coming of Spring, and surrounded it with magical rituals. Like May Day celebrations, dancing and jumping around, especially around fire is at the center of Walpurgis Night tradition.
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Grain would grow as high as a farmer could jump over the Walpurgis Night fire… and to avoid bad weather and ensure good crops, farmers might put out bread with honey and butter in the fields. Extra care was taken to protect cattle from harm. Bells were blessed and hung from cow’s necks. Stable doors were locked and hung with three crosses.
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The lady of the house would customarily leap over her broom and old brooms would be burned.
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Walpurgisnacht fires were also used to burn anything that had worn out over the previous year, and straw men were made and endowed with things like illness and disease, even bad luck and burned in the fires as well.
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Children gathered greenery from Juniper, Hawthorn, Ash, Birch and Elder trees and hang it around the house and barn as offerings to the gods and goddesses.
To pick young fresh Birch branches decorated with colorful ribbons and to fix it on the house in the night of the 30th of April to a young girl who's love you will win is still a custom among men in Germany.
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