Valborg, also known as Walpurgis Night, is an annual Swedish tradition that takes place on the last day of April. This celebration marks the arrival of spring and is a time for people to come together and celebrate the end of winter.Valborg is a particularly special tradition in the city of Uppsala, located in central Sweden. The city is home to one of the oldest universities in Sweden, Uppsala University, and the celebration of Valborg is particularly grand and lively in the city, with a festive atmosphere and many different events taking place.
The origins of Valborg can be traced back to the pre-Christian era, when the ancient Germanic people celebrated the arrival of spring with a festival called Walpurgis Night. The name “Valborg” is derived from the name of the Christian saint Walpurga, who was celebrated on May 1st in medieval times.
The city of Uppsala also has a tradition of boat parades on the Fyris river, where people gather to watch beautifully decorated boats passing by, with music and singing. The more than 100 polystyrene boats are carved and decorated by students and compete to survive the longest through a series of small waterfalls.
Another popular event is the Valborg concert held at the Uppsala Cathedral, featuring choirs and brass bands.
This article was written by Giulio Cavaliere as part of a series articles curated by BioTrib’s Early Stage Researchers.
Giulio Cavaliere is investigating Additively manufactured biodegradable alloys for bone replacement at Uppsala University, Sweden.