Stuff Swedish People Like: Springtime Bonfires

The last day of april is a traditional holiday in Sweden, where most workplaces and schools are closed. The day is called "Valborgs mass eve" (Valborgsmässoafton) and dates back to the 7th century, and the death of a holy lady called Valborg, who ran a cult against witches and other evil spirits of that period. Today, the holiday is basically a reason for Swedes to gulp down insane amounts of spirits.

Valborg is a typical initiation night for young teens to get hammered their first time. The intensive cares are jam-packed with teens from early in the evening, suffering from alcohol-poisoning, puking endlessly, being passed out, beaten or in worst case, have had some unwanted sexual experience.

Typically, people will gather at a field, where some organisation has collected wood enough to make a large bonfire. There might be some singing by a local quire, and perhaps some stands selling overprised snacks, lottery tickets, and maybe a few merry-go-rounds. This will gather families, who will enjoy the carnival-feeling, untill about 20.30, when the drunken teens will start becoming too disturbing, making the families go home, not to have their children getting inspiration from the staggering teens.

Valborg is huge among university students, for whom it is one of the major party occasions of the year. If you want to have a good time at Valborg, just talk to Swedes about how great it is that it is still light out even though it's in the evening, and that now the summer can start, because it'll soon be over, if we're lucky to get some warm weather this year. Yadda yadda, the usual Swedsih weather-rant.
If you are a teenager, well, when in Rome...Hammered Time!