Walpurgis Night to be marked in Czech countryside

People around Czechia will light bonfires on Thursday to mark Walpurgis Night, which is known in Czech as Pálení čarodějnic, or Witch Burning. The tradition is tied to the eve of May 1. It is referred to in ancient Czech documents and is believed to have Germanic roots.

Czechoslovakia’s Communist regime tried to rename the event, which can mainly be seen in the Czech countryside, as “bonfires of peace”.