Witch Dance: Lake Eerie Hexenbrut witches gather to celebrate Walpurgis

Tom Hawley, The Monroe News
·1 min read
Valinda Jonas of Monroe (foreground), founder of the Lake Eerie Hexenbrut witches, cackles as she leads the warmup broom dance with members April 30 inside the Players Club at the Mall of Monroe.
Valinda Jonas of Monroe (foreground), founder of the Lake Eerie Hexenbrut witches, cackles as she leads the warmup broom dance with members April 30 inside the Players Club at the Mall of Monroe.
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Dancing witches gathered at the Mall of Monroe on April 30.

"What is going on? It is not Halloween," said onlooking teenagers outside the Players Club at the mall.

Cathy Songalewski of Ida and Helen Harrigan of Monroe, members of the Lake Eerie Hexenbrut, start to rehearse the witch dance with other members April 30 inside the Players Club at the Mall of Monroe.
Cathy Songalewski of Ida and Helen Harrigan of Monroe, members of the Lake Eerie Hexenbrut, start to rehearse the witch dance with other members April 30 inside the Players Club at the Mall of Monroe.

Valinda Jonas of Monroe, founder of the Lake Eerie Hexenbrut, and her team of witches gathered to take part in the worldwide witch dance the last weekend of April. It was going to be a dance across the globe of all witches dancing to “Shake Your Bacon” at 3 p.m.The witch dance is called “Shake Your Bacon” or, in German, “Schuttel Deinen Speck.”

Jackie Rupp, Hollie Milz and Debbie Day (right) of Monroe dance around the cauldron while other members of the Lake Eerie Hexenbrut start to rehearse the witch dance April 30 inside the Players Club at the Mall of Monroe.
Jackie Rupp, Hollie Milz and Debbie Day (right) of Monroe dance around the cauldron while other members of the Lake Eerie Hexenbrut start to rehearse the witch dance April 30 inside the Players Club at the Mall of Monroe.

The dance was to celebrate Walpurgis on the eve of April 30. Walpurgis Night, also known as "Walpurgisnacht" and "Night of the Witches," is a pagan festival celebrated each year on April 30.

People will dress in witchy costumes and light fireworks to truly revive the spirit of the ancient Hexentanzplatz, or “witches' dance floor.” Also called Hexennacht, Walpurgisnacht isn't just celebrated in Germany but across Northern Europe, according to the web.

Helen Harrigan of Monroe and Shannon Weimer of Carleton are ready to take part in the witch dance.
Helen Harrigan of Monroe and Shannon Weimer of Carleton are ready to take part in the witch dance.

That afternoon, members of the Lake Eerie Hexenbrut started to warm up with their broom dance to get the blood flowing, yelling out cackling noises as they moved across the floor. The group rehearsed the witch dance before going live with the rest of the world's dancers on Facebook.

“It was amazing,” said Jonas. “Very emotional knowing we were supporting women all across the world using our common language, dance! And dressing like witches!”

Debbie Day of Monroe cackles out as the witches dance.
Debbie Day of Monroe cackles out as the witches dance.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Witch Dance: Lake Eerie Hexenbrut witches celebrate Walpurgis