Þorrablót (Icelandic pronunciation:[ˈθɔrːaˌplouːt];transliterated asthorrablot) is anIcelandic midwinter festival, named for the month ofÞorri of the historicalIcelandic calendar (corresponding to mid January to mid February), andblót, literally meaningsacrifice.
The historical context is from theOrkneyinga saga, where Þorri ("Frost") is an early Finnish king, the son ofSnær ("Snow").Hversu Noregr byggðist in theFlateyjarbók states that theKvens offered a yearly sacrifice to Þorri atmid-winter.[1][2]
The modern festival arose in the second half of the 19th century, with theRomantic nationalism of the time, comparable toBurns night inScotland. The first known celebration was reportedly organised by the association of Icelandic students inCopenhagen in 1873,[3] and by other societies active in theIcelandic independence movement of the time (Iceland received a constitution in 1874, and wasrecognized as akingdom in personal union with Denmark in 1918).
The Þorrablót is an evening with dinner where participants hold speeches and recite poems, originally to honour the Norse godThor (Þórr), whose name is taken to be associated withÞorri. Calling the feast ablót (a sacramental feast held in honor of a god inNorse mythology) makes clear the reference to pre-Christian times, which many nationalists of the 19th century considered a golden age ofIcelandic history.
Today Þorrablót are common events among Icelanders everywhere and can be anything from an informal dinner with friends and family to large organised events with stage performances and an after-dinner dance. These large Þorrablót celebrations are usually arranged by membership associations, associations of Icelanders living abroad, and as regional festivals in the countryside.[4]