Happy Walpurgisnacht!

[Unorthodox]

Pics forthcoming...

[Unorthodox]

all set up by the kids. 

[Buster's Uncle]

They've definitely gotten the idea.

[Unorthodox]

Kids' free run of the lighting as well...



Particularly well done piece.  I think there's something to be run with there.



And, though I had done this a bit earlier, without the blue floods, they add nicely to the look. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Were DO they get these ideas?

[Valka]

Okay, I give up. What is Walpurgisnacht, besides a city used by the Stygian faction of the Midgaard scenario of Civilization II: Test of Time?

[gwillybj]

Walpurgis Night is the English translation of Walpurgisnacht, the German name for the night of 30 April, so called because it is the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess in Germany. In German folklore Walpurgisnacht is believed to be the night of a witches' meeting on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, a range of wooded hills in central Germany between the rivers Weser and Elbe. The first known written occurrence of the English translation 'Walpurgis Night' is from the 19th century.[1] Local variants of Walpurgis Night are observed across Europe in the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland and Estonia.

more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpurgis_Night

[Unorthodox]

Weird random holiday mostly celebrated in Germany. 

It's the opposite of Halloween.  Halloween marks the last day for mortals to harvest the fields before the evil things wake up...Walpurgisnacht, on the other hand, is the last day for the evil beings to harvest humans before leaving for the summer, thus you can begin planting on May day.  They have very similar traditional celebrations with bonfires and dancing in animal hides.

For us, it's an excuse to celebrate half way to Halloween. 


Mostly because the Christmas in July stuff pissed me off.  When I decided to start halloween in April, I just found there was already such a thing and so run with it. 

[Valka]

Interesting, thanks. So this explains two of the cities in CivII: ToT. "Brocken Mtn." is one of Stygian city names, as well.

[gwillybj]

As good a reason as any to goof off in public

[Vishniac]

It's also my birthday.

And this anniversary too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Camar%C3%B3n

[Buster's Uncle]