Today, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden celebrates his 76th birthday. King Carl XVI Gustaf was born on Walpurgis Night, Friday 30 April. Walpurgis Night (Valborgsmässoafton) is a traditional holiday in Scandinavia that is celebrated on April 30, and also considered as the arrival of spring. Today, Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and Carl XVI Gustaf's role as monarch is essentially representative, as a unifying symbol of the country.