Vårparnatt is a Swedish fertility festival stemming from the country District, Medelpad. As a holiday, it grew into brief popularity during the 18th century, but quickly faded from popularity, replaced by the more widespread Midsommar[1]

Origins

The holiday originates in Pagan folklore, it coincided with the harvest of rutabagas, traditionally set on 9 January. The day is meant to usher in the days of bloom and celebrate female fertility.[2] The celebrations themselves involved dances, predominantly variations of the Swedish Schottis and Slängpolska. The dances often incorporated potatoes, serving as an emblem of fertility.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Nilsson, Sven (1994). Våra Käraste Folkvisor. Stockholm: INFO BOOKS AB. p. 56. ISBN 91-7003-077-4.
  2. ↑ Liman, Ingmar (1983). Traditional Festivities in Sweden. Arlöv: Berlings. p. 21. ISBN 91-520-0113-X.
  3. ↑ Cerf, Bennett (1964). Great Classical Thoughts. New York: Random House Inc. pp. 191–195.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.