Vetrnaetr – Vikings Welcome Winter

When the first snow crept down the mountains, the Norse didn’t dread winter. They threw it a party. Pinning down genuine Viking holidays is hard: the surviving texts say little, and modern revivals often blend Norse practice with other pagan traditions. Vetrnætr, the ‘Winter Nights,’ is one of the few celebrations the sagas actually mention by name.

VetrNaetr – Welcome Winter

The old Norse year had two seasons, summer and winter, and in the Icelandic reckoning winter began on a fixed Saturday in October (today the Saturday between October 21 and 27). Vetrnaetr, the Winter Nights, marked that turning point. The sagas mention sacrifices and feasts held at Winter Nights, sometimes called a disablot (an offering to female guardian spirits) or alfablot (an offering to the elves). The idea that it was held at the first full moon after the autumn equinox comes from modern heathen practice, not the medieval sources. Today many people fold Winter Nights into their Halloween or Samhain celebrations.

Celebrating Vetrnaetr

Like many Norse festivals, Winter Nights centered on feasting and offerings. People raised toasts to the gods, the elves and their ancestors, gave thanks for the harvest, and asked for a good year to come. The saga writers mention these feasts in passing, which tells us they were ordinary enough to need no explanation.

Of course, your celebration doesn’t require you to sacrifice an animal in the traditional way. Instead, you can invite your family over for a feast, set a place at the table for your ancestors, and give thanks for the blessings of the past year.  If the weather permits, you could have a barbecue and, rather than setting a place at a table, pour out a libation for your ancestors.

Supporting Asgard Alaska

Asgard Alaska is working toward opening an authentic Viking village in Alaska. People will be able to experience Viking life through artisans and feasts. If you would like to learn more as we move forward in our quest, be sure to use the form below to join our newsletter.