30 Apr 2007 Burning Of Witches Takes Place In Prague And Other Czech Towns

28 April 2007, 21:18 - People
The last April's days, nice Czech tradition is celebrated. When the dark comes over the country, the fires are lit in many Czech towns and villages, including Prague. The feast is called Burning of witches (pálení čarodějnic) and it symbols that the winter is finally and definitely out.

In Prague, popular fires are lit on the Petřín hill, just next to the Prague Castle. It is quite unofficial, but tolerated.

There are many habits connected with the celebration. For example, jumping through the flames. It is important especially for girls and women: those who are witches get burnt, the others end up with a bit shorter and smoky hair.

But everybody knows that the real witches are somewhere else, in secret places where they fly on their brooms, coat their naked bodies with special ointments and dance ungodly dances, maybe even with hell spawn creatures.

Many people argue that the celebration originates from Celtic traditions who lived at the area of Bohemia at the turn of Ages. It originates from the feast of Beltine, which a traditional holiday still celebrated in Ireland.

The other link to pagan holiday is to Walpurgis Night. This is a traditional German and Swedish celebration of Saint Walburga (she lived in the 8th century), which probably predates the old girl herself and harks back to Viking celebrations.

The name of the celebration can be also originated from the burning of the "witches" by the Catholic inquisitors in the 15th and 16th century.

The Burning of the witches is a social event. People gather around the fire and drink a beer together.

And the night is always long: The next day, 1 May, the Workers day is celebrated – as in many countries all around the world. Then almost nobody is forced to get up early in the morning and go to work.