Walpurgis Night

American

noun

(especially in medieval German folklore) the evening preceding the feast day of St. Walpurgis, when witches congregated, especially on the Brocken.

Walpurgis Night British

/ vælˈpʊəɡɪs /

noun

the eve of May 1, believed in German folklore to be the night of a witches' sabbath on the Brocken, in the Harz Mountains

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Walpurgis Night

C19: translation of German Walpurgisnacht, the eve of the feast day of St Walpurga, 8th-century abbess in Germany

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Walpurgis Night scene is dominated by an A-bomb.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2013

He arrives in 1930s Moscow under the guise of conjuror Professor Woland to host his annual Walpurgis Night celebration: the "Spring Ball of the Full Moon".

From The Guardian • Dec. 12, 2012

Contains the usually omitted ballet music for the Walpurgis Night.

From Time Magazine Archive

James sets the scenes of his stories with cunning realism, hearty plausibility; he never needs Bohemia or Walpurgis Night.

From Time Magazine Archive

Signs and omens on Walpurgis Night have more weight than at other times except on St. John's Day.

From The Book of Hallowe'en by Kelley, Ruth Edna

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023