臺北市新住民專區網站英文版

Up Helly-Aa fire festival will be held in Lerwick. The Shetland Islands is the northernmost part of the United Kingdom, more than 200 kilometers away from the Scottish mainland. Shetland was under the rule of the Vikings until the 15th century before incorporated into Scotland.
Up Helly-Aa is a fire festival that celebrates the heritage of the Vikings. On this day, local residents will dress up as Viking warriors, they would carry flaming torches and follow the Guizer Jarl (chief Viking) through the streets of the town to the seashore. The climax of the celebration is the burning of the pirate ship. The Viking warriors will throw their torches into the ship and watch the wooden pirate ship burned to ashes, which symbolizes the Viking warriors died in the war and their warships will be immortalized in the fire.
After the celebration, people will gather at the bar to drink beer and dance all night until the following day. This is probably an alternative thousand-year-old tradition!