The Thorrablot winter festival in Iceland is celebrated anytime during the month of Þorri, which begins on the first Friday after January 19 (the 13th week or 4th month of winter in the old Scandinavian calendar). Thorrablot is a northern German celebration of sacrifice of a winter spirit or climate called Thorri and takes place only in Iceland. The celebration has its roots in the culture and rituals of the Viking Age and was revived as recently as the 19th century. Today, Thorrablot is an important part of Icelandic culture.
Thorrablot (Icelandic: Þorrablót) takes place on the coldest and darkest days of the year, and it is interesting to note that many of the foods served are actually smoked / pickled products from the previous year. It is a Scandinavian tradition with a lot of Viking history.
How to celebrate Thorrablot
The Thorrablot celebration begins with dinner. For the mid-winter feast, Icelanders serve up what was normal daily food for Vikings, returning to wild-made food that is smoked, put into mysa (a sour dairy product), salty, dried, or kaestur (rotten and put on meat). Things you can expect to see on your plate or at the buffet table include local dishes like fermented shark, smoked lamb, sour lamb breast, liver sausage and blood sausage, rye and flatbreads, as well as dried fish.
All of that was washed down with a shot of Brennivin (Iceland’s strong brandy).
The typical food of Thorrablot is called Thorramatur and is available in many Icelandic restaurants in January and early February. Please note, however, that the Thorrablot fare is not for queasy stomachs, and is generally not suitable for children due to strange foods and alcohol. Enjoy it as an adult-only event.
After Thorrablot dinner, get ready for group games and old songs and stories, accompanied by Brennivin. You will definitely get that rotten meat taste out of your mouth.
Later in the evening, the dances begin and often continue until the early hours, when the Thorrablot celebrations come to an end.
If you would like more information on Thorrablot dinners and special events during your stay in Iceland, your best bet is to ask at your hotel reception desk or visit the local tourism office in Reykjavik for event calendars and tickets ( for ticketed events))
