The tradition of Valborg is an old one, probably dating hundreds of years back in time. Some say it was celebrated to mark the end of winter and the beginning of Spring. The date when Valborg is celebrated - 30 April - was traditionally the night before farmers let their animals out on the summer pastures, and needed to scare away wild animals and trolls. They therefore lit a bonfire, and made as much noise as possible to scare away anything that could harm their animals.

Today this old tradition is celebrated all over Sweden on 30 April. Also Swedes abroad celebrate Valborg with a bonfire, sometimes with fireworks. Friends, relatives and neighbours gather in their communities to experience the magic of standing at the bonfire, welcoming the end of winter and the beginning of Spring and later Summer, when light and warmth replace the long, dark and cold winter months.

This years’s Valborg celebration in Dubai gathered about a hundred and fifty Swedes who enjoyed the bonfire, the songs of the choir singing traditional spring songs, at times accompanied by the calls from the neighbouring minaret, and each others company. For reasons of precaution the fire was a small one in Dubai. Normally the bonfires in Sweden are very large, up to twice the height of human beings, as you can see on the photo.

You can see a photo from the event in Dubai on the right side of this page.