What happens in the Up Helly Aa festival?
Up Helly Aa (meaning Up Holy Day) is a huge spectacle, a celebration of Shetland history, and a demonstration of islanders’ skills. It harks back to Shetland’s Viking heritage. The events last all day and involve a series of marches and visits, ending in a torch-lit procession and the burning of a Viking longship.
What is burned at Up Helly Aa?
Welcome to the official website for Up Helly Aa, which takes place in Lerwick, Shetland, on the last Tuesday in January every year. Up Helly Aa day involves a series of marches and visitations, culminating in a torch-lit procession and the burning of a galley.
What is Up Helly Aa in Shetland?
Lerwick Up Helly Aa is a superb spectacle, a celebration of Shetland history, and a triumphant demonstration of islanders’ skills and spirit. This northern Mardi Gras, run entirely by volunteers, lasts just one day (and all the following night). But it takes several thousand people 364 days to organise.
Where is the Viking festival held in Scotland?
Where is the Viking Festival held? The annual festival is celebrated in Lerwick, the capital of the Shetland Islands in Scotland.
How cold does it get in Shetland?
Despite being so far north, Shetland’s winters are relatively temperate due to the Gulf Stream warming the sea around the isles. The temperature in December rarely dips below freezing point, with the average temperature being around 2°C.
Is Up Helly Aa 2022 Cancelled?
The 2022 festival due to take place on Tuesday January 25, 2022 has been put off due to the continued uncertainty surrounding the guidelines of hosting events and festivals during the Covid-19 pandemic. Organisers say they plan to postpone the festival until January 2023.
What is a HAA in Scotland?
A “haa” was a laird’s house, and a number were built across Shetland from the 1600s onwards. They tend to be characterised by a sense of solidity and permanence, and the Haa of Tangwick is no exception.
Where are the Shetland Islands in Scotland?
Shetland Islands, also called Zetland or Shetland, group of about 100 islands, fewer than 20 of them inhabited, in Scotland, 130 miles (210 km) north of the Scottish mainland, at the northern extremity of the United Kingdom. They constitute the Shetland Islands council area and the historic county of Shetland.
What is the Jarl Squad?
Description: Up Helly Aa is a tradition that originated in the 1880s and since then the festival in Lerwick and country areas has been an annual occurrence in the Shetland calendar. The Jarl (Chief Viking) and his Squad are the focal point for each event, portraying a figure from the historical Viking Sagas.
What language is spoken in Shetland?
People in Shetland today have a ‘dialect’. It contains Scottish and Norn words. We don’t know when the Picts first settled in Shetland, but we believe they were in Shetland by 300AD. The Picts used these symbols to write things down, and they often carved them into stone.
Is there a McDonalds on Shetland?
No there is not a MacDonald’s in Shetland.
Can you fly to the Shetland Islands?
Flying is the quickest way to get to Shetland and the view as you approach Sumburgh Airport – dramatic cliffs, rolling seas and tumbling hills – are an awe-inspiring introduction to the islands. There are several flights per day, to and from the major Scottish airports, and regular summer flights from Bergen.
What is Shetland’s Viking Fire Festival?
Taking place annually on the last Tuesday of January in the town of Lerwick, the Shetland’s Viking Fire Festival, or Up Helly Aa as it’s known locally, is the largest event of its kind in Europe.
What are the best festivals in the Shetland?
Taste of Shetland Festival Lerwick Up Helly Aa Bressay Up Helly Aa Scalloway Fire Festival Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa Uyeasound Up Helly Aa Northmavine Up Helly Aa Cullivoe Up Helly Aa Norwick Up Helly Aa Walls Junior Up Helly Aa South Mainland Up Helly Aa Delting Up Helly Aa Shetland Boat Week
What are the events of the Viking Festival?
The events last all day and involve a series of marches and visits, ending in a torch-lit procession and the burning of a Viking longship. The Junior Guizer Jarl and his squad march along their route cheered on by the adult Guizer squad. They also build their own Viking boat with the help of their teachers and parents.
Where is Shetland’s Up Helly Aa?
The main celebration of Up Helly Aa takes place in Lerwick but there are 12 smaller local versions too all over the Shetland Isles. The first official Up Helly Aa took place in Lerwick, Shetland’s main town, in 1881. Here’s what you need to know: What is Up Helly Aa?