Nothing has however ended the Up Helly Aa guizers from creating an exceptional spectacle which while just lasting one day and one evening holds testament to the determination and perseverance in the facial skin 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 parties are led by the 'Guizer Jarl' who adopts a figure from the Norse Sagas. Wearing a costume that'll have got 2 yrs in the making and using a raven-winged helmet and armed with conventional guitar and guard he'll set about a 24 hour convention which will see him ranking at the helm of his doomed galley as he watches over 800 to 1,000 Viking axes covered guys carrying blazing torches sort a blazing procession snaking its way towards the burning site.

Taking the Galley returning to the using website and it's being provided for Valhalla is at the very top squad of Vikings. Known as Jarl's Squad that group of warriors remains the same for each event with its rates swollen for the procession by invitees. To be asked to become listed on Jarl's Squad is a good privilege and a when in an eternity event. It requires Jarl's Squad around 30 minutes to drag the galley through the tens of thousands of spectators to the using site.

Up Helly Aa has developed over 12 centuries with the torchlight procession and galley burning echoing the Viking Key cremation ritual and their religious ceremonies to tag the get back of sunlight subsequent the winter solstice. Today's Up Helly Aa maintains lots of the things with the torchlight procession and the galley using being the absolute most significant but there is enough of feasting and revelry continuous the traditions of the Viking consuming halls with revellers in Nordic extravagant dress costume partying through the entire night.