An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
© Michael Runkel/Getty Image
Shetland marks the end of Yule. A Shetland tradition
Should you find yourself in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of January, you’ll witness a celebration to mark the end of Yule called ‘Up Helly Aa’. Here on the Shetland Islands, the cultural influence of the Vikings is still felt. And when the Yule season comes to a close, many Shetlanders dress up like Vikings – a tradition called ‘guizing’, short for ‘disguise’ – and march the streets of Lerwick in a parade of song, comedic performance and ultimately a torchlight procession that ends with the torches setting a fake Viking galley ship ablaze. The name ‘Up Helly Aa’ is roughly translated as Up Holy All, an invitation for all to rise and join in the holiday revelry.
Related Images
The Llangattock Escarpment in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Powys, Wales
Rajgad Fort near Pune, India
Glastonbury Tor and St Michael's Tower for the start of the Glastonbury Festival
Peel Castle on St Patrick’s Isle, Isle of Man
Hope Valley in the Peak District
Winnats Pass in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England
Swift fox pups in Grasslands National Park near Val Marie in Saskatchewan, Canada
Zebras in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Bing Today Images
Porto, Portugal
Jan 29, 2025
Gollinger Waterfalls, Tennengau, Salzburg, Austria
Jan 29, 2024
Blackbird in Essex, England
Jan 29, 2023
Semuc Champey nature park in Guatemala
Jan 29, 2020
Curbar Edge in the Peak District, Derbyshire
Jan 29, 2016
