Valpurgiyev’s night From April 30 to May

In many countries of Western Europe night in since April 30 for May 1 is celebrated the holiday of spring which is going back to pre-Christian traditions. In the Celtic countries approximately in the same time Belteyn was marked out, and in some German regions for May first it is accepted to drive a round dance round the May tree.

On the German popular belief, there is an annual celebration of witches, who meet in the night around their master, Satan, on a high, inaccessible mountain Brocken, where they celebrated their "Sabbath."

This belief is derived by Goethe as the 1st part of "Faust", happened near the end of the VIII century, probably in the same way as has arisen and spread the belief in witches at all: since May 1 with special solemnity celebrated pagan, old women, and in general all those who could not immediately abandon the pagan rites in favor of Christianity, despite the strict prohibition, continued to gather in inaccessible places, to properly, that is, singing and dancing, to meet the may 1st. Situation (bonfires, wilderness), and perhaps deliberately dissolve the Gentiles these secret hearings (to get rid of unnecessary witnesses), helped to spread among the people the stories of witches gathering in the night in various inaccessible places. John Kohler mentions the celebrations in 1603, later in the same 17th century, but in the second half it is mentioned in Johann Pretorius.