What is Hexennacht?
Based on Western European folk lore the night of April 30, the evening before Beltane, is the time when witches take to the sky’s and celebrate the arrival of the May 1st. There are stories about the witches ascending to the highest peak of the Harz Mountains and dancing into the morning. Bon fires are still lit to this day in many regions of Germany, Austria, Denmark and The Netherlands to provide guidance in the dark of the night for the witches in flight.
This may not be Europe, but beautiful Victoria BC, in fact the unceded land of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, though the concept of a witch transcends borders as well as cultural celebrations of spring and fertility. Through this evening we can embrace all of our differences and experience through musical and artistic feminine ritual. All of our experiences are unique and shape us differently but they are connected and together we can take down patriarchy.
Hexennacht is a two day festival showcasing self-identified female musicians (our definition of female has always included non-binary individuals, trans, femme and gender queer as well as “cis females) The last two years the driving message behind the festival has been the ‘magical’ elements of being a womyn and how that aspect of womyn can unite us as sisters as well as isolate us due to being misunderstood, but it teaches us our strength lies in our numbers, together!
The overall goal of Hexennacht is to inspire women and girls by showcasing a variety of female talent. It is important for youth to see such creative forces because they can hopefully see themselves in a similar place. Also it creates community between different groups of women, bonding us creatively.