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'Thorrablot': An Icelandic Winter Food Festival
Holidays and festivals are among the most important aspects of Icelandic culture. They mirror not only Iceland's character but also that of its people. Icelanders await and prepare for these lavish celebrations with reverence and anticipation.
An Age-Old Custom ============= In Iceland, as in any other country, a combination of nature, folklore, religious beliefs, socioeconomic factors, and history influences every celebration. However, it is the tenacious adherence of Icelanders to their ancient customs-which date back to Iceland's pre-Christian, heathen history-that best characterizes their festivals such as 'Žorrablot' (Thorrablot).
A Feast of Traditional Viking Food ===================== One of the most awaited Icelandic event is Žorrablot, 'The Blessing of Žorri,' which commences on the first day of Žorri, the fourth month of Icelandic Winter. In standard calendar, it always begins on a Friday between the 19th and the 25th of January and ends on a Saturday between the 18th and the 24th of February. The highlight of this month-long annual festivity is the consumption of traditional Viking food. These delicacies include 'sviš' (boiled lamb's head), 'hįkarl' (putrefied Greenlandic shark meat), 'skyr' (yogurt made with 'rennet' [a dried extract made from the stomach lining of hoofed mammals such as cattle, sheep, and goats]), 'flatkokur' (flat, thin rye breads eaten with butter), 'hardfiskur' (dried fish, eaten with butter), 'lifrarpylsa' (pudding made out of lamb's liver), and 'brennivķn' (an alcoholic beverage distilled from potatoes and flavored with the seeds of caraway herb).
The diet and eating habits of the Icelandic people, like those of many other nationalities, have largely changed in the passing of time, so it is unsurprising to know that many Icelanders now eat food prepared in the old fashion only during festivals.
In a Nutshell --------------- 'Viking' is any of a seafaring Scandinavian people who raided the coasts of northern and western Europe from the eighth through the tenth century.
Tracing the Origin ============ Many Icelandic historians say that the earliest extant reference to the word Žorrablot can be found in the late-fourteenth-century Old Icelandic collection of manuscript 'Flateyjarbók,' (the Flatey book). According to the book, a certain King Žorri held a festive offering every late Winter to ask the deities to spare his kingdom from the harshness of the freezing season. Thus, many people believe that Icelandic Winter's fourth month, 'Žorri' (Thorri)-when the season is at its mildest-was named after the said king, who started the festival in the first place. Through the passing of time, Icelanders eventually came to regard the king as an Icelandic Winter god. To other people, however, Žorrablot means 'Feast of Thor'-an ancient feast originally celebrated back during Iceland's pagan times in honor of the Norse god Thor.
=================== Celebrating in the Modern Day =================== Whatever its real origin, Žorrablot to this day remains to be a standard part of the Icelandic social calendar, and it has even been adopted by many neighboring countries like Denmark, Greenland, Norway, and Sweden.
As festivities take place in Winter, most of the food served are preserved in some way-dried, pickled in whey, putrefied, salted, or smoked. And amidst this food galore are children playing traditional games, dancing, singing Old Icelandic songs, and heavy drinking (especially that 'brennivķn' and other alcoholic beverages are, in Winter, ideal for warming the body and stirring the spirits).
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