After a long,dark winter the people of Uppsala will welcome the much awaited spring on the 30th April by celebrating Valborg. What makes this year’s Valborg stand out is that it is being celebrated after being canceled for the past two years! Which means more enthusiasm from the students to finally be able to experience the spring festival.
If this is your first Valborg in Uppsala, here is a summary of the main events happening in Uppsala during Valborg-
Nations
If you witnessed the extremely long queues near the student nations the past weeks in Uppsala, the students were queuing up for tickets for none other than Valborg! The student nations usually host the majority of events for the festival from champagne breakfasts to pubs in the evening.
But even if you could not get the tickets for the nations, you can still enjoy Valborg! Keep reading to know more…
The Raft Race
What started as a friendly bet in 1975 has now become a tradition in Uppsala to highlight Valborg.On the morning of the 30/4 the much awaited raft race will be hosted by UTN at the Fyris river and you as an onlooker can enjoy it too.
Champagne breakfast and herring lunch
You along with your friends can celebrate Valborg the traditional way by enjoying a nice champagne breakfast and/or a herring lunch outdoors while taking in the warmth of the sun.The crowd usually gathers at Ekonomikum park so be sure to arrive early and reserve a spot. You could also head to the Uppsala Concert House to enjoy a nice herring lunch.
Donning of the caps
Another tradition to welcome spring is when the vice chancellor of Uppsala University waves her hat from the balcony of Carolina Rediviva and the students gathered around wave their student hats back.Sounds like something you would enjoy? Then be there on the 30/4 at the Carolina Hill at 15:00 sharp to celebrate the festival with the enthusiastic crowd!
Spring song
A tradition that dates back to the 19th century is a mesmerizing song performance by the orchestra, Orphei Drängar at the steps of Carolina Rediviva(sometime after the donning of the caps) to welcome the arrival of spring.
Bonfire
A large bonfire or majbrasa is lit at the Royal mounds of Gamla Uppsala on the night of Valborg (around 9 pm) as a way to ward off predators threatening pasturing animals and welcoming the arrival of spring by gathering around the fire and singing into the night.
It can be overwhelming to keep track of all the events happening during Valborg, so here is a link that contains most of the information you need on the day of Valborg: https://valborgiuppsala.se/en/
Hope you enjoy celebrating Valborg in Uppsala!
/Mansi
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