Shetland Up Helly Aa

The other rural festivals see lower numbers.

Shetland up helly aa. Shetland or the shetland islands are a group of islands that sit around 100 miles off the north coast of mainland scotland and they are the most northerly inhabited islands of great britain. The largest and best known is up helly aa in lerwick but there are a total of 12 festivals every winter. About shetland s up helly aa festivals between january and march every year communities across shetland come together for a series of spectacular and unique fiery celebrations. The main festival held in lerwick shetland s capital involves a procession of up to a thousand guizers who march through the streets of lerwick on the last tuesday in january.

Welcome to the official website for up helly aa which takes place in lerwick shetland on the last tuesday in january every year. The bressay up helly aa committee regretfully announce the postponement of the 2021 bressay up helly aa. Up helly aa can refer to any of twelve fire festivals held annually from january to march in shetland scotland to mark the end of the yule season. The up helly aa festivals remember the vikings who used to rule the shetland islands 1 000 years ago.

Each festival involves a torchlit procession by squads of costumed participants that culminates in the burning of viking galley. Today the islands are a part of scotland and therefore the uk. Lerwick s up helly aa festival is technically a victorian era event. What the helly aa.

Your guide to shetland s up helly aa fire festivals youtube. Squads of warriors parade through the streets by torchlight before the day culminates with the. Up helly aa literally up holy all is the name given to any of the now 12 fire festivals running in shetland since 1876 to mark the end of the yule season. Up helly aa is the general term for a series of festivals held in shetland every year.

Every winter between january and march communities across shetland organise and run a series of spectacular up helly aa fire festivals. Why shetland s up helly should ditch ban on women leader comment the scotsman news you. Up helly aa day involves a series of marches and visitations culminating in a torch lit procession and the burning of a galley. Given the ongoing uncertainties surrounding the global coronavirus pandemic we have taken the unanimous decision to postpone the festival for a year in the hope we can return to a more normal way of life in time for the 2022 event.

In modern scotland there is no place for a ban on women taking part in events like up helly aa s parade. These fire festivals commemorate shetland s viking past and are also a triumphant demonstration of the islanders skill spirit and sense of community. Each of the groups that make up the. However the festival has a decidedly viking flair to it and is equally a tribute to the islands viking roots.