Up Helly Aa fire festival

The Up Helly Aa fire festival celebrating the Shetland Island's Norse heritage​

The Up Helly Aa fire festival is a grand celebration that takes place annually in Shetland, Scotland, marking the end of the Yule season. This festival is a testament to the region's deep cultural ties to its Norse heritage, blending history, tradition, and community spirit into a single, unforgettable night.

The festival features a torchlit procession by squads of costumed participants, known as guizers, who march through the streets of Lerwick on the last Tuesday in January. The central figure in the proceedings is the Guizer Jarl, the chief guizer and leader of the Jarl Squad, who takes the name of a character from the Norse Sagas each year. The festival's origins trace back to the 1870s, when a group of young Shetland men sought to inject new life into the region's Christmas celebrations.

The process of building the vessel, which involves over 1,000 hand-carved torches, is a labor of love, with teams working tirelessly to ensure every detail aligns with historical accuracy. The Up Helly Aa festival is a highlight for many people in Shetland, and it is a series of community-led festivals that draw crowds from across the globe.
 
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