Summary
The Up Helly Aa festival is a fire festival in Shetland, Scotland, celebrating Norse heritage. It takes place annually in January when participants parade through Lerwick in Viking costumes and burn a replica Viking ship. The event includes locals and enthusiasts from various countries.
Key Facts
- Up Helly Aa is an annual celebration of Norse heritage in Shetland, Scotland.
- The festival features a parade in Lerwick, the capital of Shetland.
- Participants, called "guizers," wear Viking costumes and carry torches.
- A replica Viking long ship is burned as the main event of the festival.
- Lynden Nicolson, the Guizer Jarl, led the parade after an 18-year wait.
- The festival includes both adult and junior groups in the celebrations.
- Around 1,000 torches are used to burn the replica ship, Skyldulid.
- The event attracts visitors from places like Singapore and Canada.
