Þorrablót in Iceland
January 23 · Level 6 · #1009 of 2238
Þorrablót is an Icelandic midwinter feast celebrating traditional food and cultural identity. Gatherings take place during Þorri, a month of the old Icelandic calendar, so the name describes a season of celebrations rather than one fixed day.
How it is celebrated: families, friends and community groups share traditional dishes, which may include fermented shark, dried fish and sheep's head. Speeches, singing and dancing help carry the evening beyond the tasting table.
The modern celebration took shape during a nineteenth-century revival of national traditions. Despite a name that recalls sacrificial feasts, it is not an ancient ceremony preserved unchanged.