There are only a few hours left until the moment when in many towns and villages of Chomutovska, the borders will catch fire again after a year and imaginary witches will be engulfed in flames. See what program they are preparing for the popular event in the Chomutov Zoo, read how to proceed when burning and why we actually light fires.
St. Philip’s Night, i.e. the night from April 30 to May 1, falls on a Tuesday this year. The zoo offers a traditionally rich program, starting there at 4 p.m. “Calling all witches and wizards great and small. Come to our zoo to celebrate Filippojaku night on April 30. For Tuesday evening, we have prepared a traditional program at the children’s zoo. In the center of all the action, of course, there will be a lit bonfire ready for roasting burritos, if you bring them. We have forks available,” invites the Chomutov Zoo.
Not only the fire but it will be tempting to visit. “The children will be entertained by the clowns Pipi and Jaja, and the Nepitch Band will play older classic hits for the adults. And of course there will be a contest for the best mask. We look forward to seeing you from 4 to 7 p.m. There is nothing extra to pay, only the classic entrance fee,” added the zoo.
This is how a witch was burned in the zoo last year:
Witch burnings, a combination of open fire and often a lot of alcohol, or just plain carelessness and inattention can be the source of all sorts of trouble.
From property damage to various injuries. Firefighters, in particular, regularly warn of risks. Although, for example, they did not go to this event in the region last year. “On the night of April 30 to May 1, 2023, four fires were reported in the Ústí Region. Not one of them had a connection with the so-called burning of witches,” confirmed Lukáš Marvan, spokesman for the Fire Rescue Service of the Ústí Region, for the professional units. He added that these were cases of a socket in the apartment catching fire, a black dump fire, and a garbage can burning twice.
And like this in 2022:
So, according to the firefighters, how should you behave when burning the border? First of all, it is advisable to properly report the event to the fire department. The fire must be at a safe distance from all objects, buildings, forest and other vegetation. It must not catch fire during prolonged drought or during strong winds. There would be a risk of the fire spreading rapidly. It is not safe to use flammable liquids to light a fire, leave a fire unattended or even throw pyrotechnics into it. On the contrary, it is necessary to have enough extinguishing agent – water or sand – at hand, and after thorough extinguishing at the end of the event, check the place for at least eight hours.
It is no coincidence that the burning of witches in many municipalities is “certainly” or directly organized by local units of volunteer firefighters.
Why do we burn witches?
It is a folk custom, widespread especially in Europe. On the night of April 30th to May 1st, people gather around the fires, originally it was about burning old tongs and other clutter from the plots cleaned up after the winter. At the same time, the arrival of spring is celebrated. Somewhere it is customary to build a maypole. In a number of superstitions, lighting fires is a purification ritual and also a protection against evil spirits and demons, and later specifically witches. The unlucky brooms were lit and thrown into the air. The ashes from these fires were supposed to have a special power to increase the harvest. Sometimes cattle were led with the spread ashes to ensure fertility, other times they were jumped over the fire to ensure youth and fertility.
Philippi Jacobská or Walpurgis night was considered magical, people believed that various caves and underground passages with treasures opened. It is not without interest that one of the main messages was apparently also the celebration of fertility.
The term corresponds to the Celtic holiday Beltain (or Beltine). Even in this case, the main motive is the celebration of the arrival of spring and warmth, birth, and people are preparing to farm in the fields again after winter. It is celebrated as the opposite of Samhain (Halloween), exactly half a year later. The fire was supposed to symbolically cleanse people and animals from ailments and impure thoughts that accumulated during the dark winter season. Fires were extinguished in the home fireplaces and new ones were lit.
On the eve of Beltain, lovers went to the woods, May after that was the festival of love games, and kissing under a blossoming tree on May 1 may also originate from this time.
Source: Diary/ Miroslava Šebestová
