In the German Hexen Nacht, also known as Walpurgisnacht: And lastly, you can look for witches at the Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night) on April 30. Halloween and Walpurgisnacht have a lot in common as they both originate from pagan festivities celebrating the changing seasons. Its name is derived from Saint Walpurga, a British nun, who came to Germany to Christianize the Saxons. According to legend, it was believed that witches held their Sabbath on April 30, when they would gather around to perform and exercise their witchcraft together, as well as dance. To counteract that, ordinary people would gather together, light bonfires, and make loud noises (similiar to Fasching), to ensure that they kept evil spirits away. The biggest Walpurgisnacht celebration is in the Harz region of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, with more than twenty different events in close proximity. The most prominent are in Bad Grund, Braunlage, Hahnenklee, Sankt Andreasberg, Schierke and Thale. Although this holiday is still celebrated today, traditions have changed a little, with the it serving more as a way to get together and have fun, rather than scaring away any form of evil spirits. People like to celebrateby dressing up in costumes (mostly as witches or devils), lighting bonfires, dancing, and sometimes even playing pranks on each other.
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The season is traditionally declared open on Nov. 11 and continues until Ash Wednesday the following year, with the celebrations peaking in the days prior. There are various Fasching clubs in Stuttgart. Some are solely witchy clubs and are based on true historical events related to witches. These include the Birckhe-Bronna Hexa e.V., Narrenzunft Cannstatter Stäffeles Hexa e.V., and the Sudhexen, to name a few. If you find yourselves a Fasching parade one day, make sure to stay clear of the witches, as it is Fasching tradition to tease the attendees by rubbing black chalk in their faces and taking their hair bands. The witches are known to be a little more crafty and mean, so bear that in mind next time you watch a Fasching parade.
The classic tale of Hansel and Gretel stems back to fears of cannibalism during the Thirty Years War.
4th Quarter 2023
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