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Vikings Ravens
We Suggest a Viking Up Helly Aa as a Party Theme
Are you looking for a fancy dress theme for a party in the deepest of winter? We think we've found one of the best with the celebration of Up Helly Aa based on the Norse tradition of burning a galley and sending it to Valhalla and Viking costumes are popular with both men and women.
Every January the town of Lerwick in the Shetland Islands goes more than a little mad with the burning of their Viking galley. The defiant boast of the organising committee is that "There will be no postponement for weather".
Nothing has yet stopped the Up Helly Aa guizers from creating a superb spectacle which although only lasting one day and one night bears testament to the grit and determination in the face of anything that the weather of mid-winter may bring.
Up Helly Aa is a superb spectacle and a celebration of Shetland history. Dubbed the northern Mardi Gras the celebrations are led by the ‘Guizer Jarl' who adopts a character from the Norse Sagas. Wearing a costume that may have taken two years in the making and donning a raven-winged helmet and armed with traditional axe and shield he will embark on a 24 hour marathon which will see him standing at the helm of his doomed galley as he watches over 800 to 1,000 disguised men shouldering blazing torches form a blazing procession snaking its way towards the burning site.
Pulling the Galley on its way to the burning site and it's being sent to Valhalla is an elite squad of Vikings. Known as Jarl's Squad this group of warriors remains the same for each festival with its ranks swollen for the procession by invitees. To be invited to join Jarl's Squad is a great privilege and a once in a lifetime event. It takes Jarl's Squad around 30 minutes to drag the galley through the thousands of spectators to the burning site.
Up Helly Aa has evolved over 12 centuries with the torchlight procession and galley burning echoing the Viking Chief cremation ritual and their religious ceremonies to mark the return of the sun following the winter solstice. Today's Up Helly Aa retains many of the elements with the torchlight procession and the galley burning being the most notable but there is plenty of feasting and revelry continuing the traditions of the Viking drinking halls with revellers in Nordic fancy dress costume partying throughout the night.
If you can't make it to the Shetland Isles Up Helly Aa why not hold your own version? The feasting and drinking should be no problem and there are plenty of Norse and Viking fancy dress costumes available. And given that it will be the winter these are normally of thicker material and have fur fabric elements to keep you warmer. If local legislation permits, you could build your own version of a Viking galley and set fire to it or you have a simple bonfire or alternatively you could get straight into the feasting and revelry. The choice is yours.
We think that an Up Helly Aa celebration ticks all the boxes for a themed party and it makes a highly original theme. You could adopt the same philosophy as the Lerwick organising committee and let there be no postponement for weather.
As this is a themed fancy dress party you'll want to head for a selection of Viking costumes and Karnival Costumes has an extensive range of adult's and children's Norse themed costumes which are guaranteed to suit your requirements. Select the link to our section devoted to Viking fancy dress
We also have a large selection of articles on a wide range of party themed topics. Why not join our newsletter for up to date information on the latest trends in costumes, news and notification of our special offers. Visit us today at Karnival Costumes for all your fancy dress costume and accessories.
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