Complete list of Norse Traditions and Holidays
The Norse and Germanic peoples lived by the rhythm of nature, not the Gregorian calendar we use today. Their holy tides were tied to survival (harvests, winters, and war seasons) and to the relationship between humans, gods, ancestors, and the unseen powers of the land.
Snorri Sturluson (in Ynglinga Saga) tells us of three great annual sacrifices:
At Winter Nights (for prosperity and survival),
At Midwinter (for fertility and harvests),
At Summer (for victory).
But beyond these three, sagas, poems, and folk memory reveal a fuller cycle of holy tides. Below is the reconstructed ritual year, beginning in January.
January – Þorrablót (Thorrablot)
When: Late January – mid February (Icelandic month of Þorri)
Focus: Thor, strength, survival in midwinter
History
Þorrablót comes down to us primarily from Icelandic tradition, preserved in medieval and later sources. The festival takes place during the month of Þorri, the fourth winter month in the Old Norse calendar.
The name itself connects directly to Thor (Þórr), the protector god of thunder, strength, and humankind. Some scholars believe the month and its feast were explicitly dedicated to Thor, while others argue it could also be linked to a legendary king named Þorri.
In the Hákonar saga góða (Saga of Hákon the Good), Snorri Sturluson records that midwinter feasts were originally held in honour of the gods, especially for a good harvest and peace. Though Christianisation reshaped the traditions, the old customs of feasting in deep winter persisted.
Purpose and Meaning
Midwinter was the harshest time in the Norse world. Food stocks were low, weather was at its worst, and survival was uncertain. Þorrablót gave people the chance to:
Honour Thor as protector of mankind.
Strengthen community bonds through shared feasting.
Give thanks for survival through half the winter.
Ask for blessings for the months to come.
It was as much about morale as it was about religion, reminding everyone that even in darkness the gods protected them and spring was coming.
Historical Practice
We don’t have exact saga descriptions of Þorrablót as we do for Yule or Winter Nights, but from surviving references and later folk practice we can reconstruct:
Communal feasts with whatever preserved food remained (meat, dried fish, dairy, and fermented foods).
Blót (sacrifice) of animals where possible, with blood sprinkled on the altars and shared feasting on the meat.
Toasts to Thor, gods, ancestors, and local land-spirits.
Skaldic recitations and oaths, strengthening kinship bonds.
Modern Þorrablót
Today, Þorrablót has been revived in Iceland as both a cultural and Pagan festival.
Cultural Tradition: Icelanders celebrate it as a midwinter feast with þorramatur (“food of Þorri”) - a spread of preserved dishes: fermented shark (hákarl), sour ram’s testicles, blood pudding, dried fish, and cured meats, washed down with brennivín (caraway schnapps).
Heathen Tradition: Modern Heathens mark Þorrablót with blóts to Thor, sharing mead, bread, and preserved winter foods. It’s a festival of resilience, laughter, and gratitude for strength in hardship.
Symbolism
Þorrablót embodies:
Endurance: honouring survival at winter’s midpoint.
Strength: invoking Thor as the unyielding protector.
Community: gathering together to resist isolation.
Continuity: keeping faith that spring will come again.
February – Dísablót
When: Early February (varies by region)
Focus: The Disir (female ancestral spirits)
History
The main source for Dísablót comes from Hervarar Saga and from medieval accounts of Sweden, particularly at Gamla Uppsala. According to the saga, Dísablót was traditionally held in late winter or early spring (around February, before the sowing season).
It was not a small, household rite like Álfablót. Instead, it was a public and grand ceremony, often connected with the great Thing (assembly) at Uppsala. Kings and chieftains themselves are recorded as leading the sacrifices. The rite was seen as necessary for the well-being of the entire community, ensuring good harvests, fertility, and the favour of the dísir for the year ahead.
Some sources also describe Dísablót as having links to war and fate, since the dísir were thought to influence battle outcomes as well as the fortunes of families and clans
Purpose and meaning
Dísablót was a sacrifice to the powerful female spirits of fate and ancestry, historically tied to fertility, prosperity, and community survival. Once a grand public ritual led by kings, today it has been revived as a deeply meaningful festival where Heathens honour ancestral mothers, guardians, and female powers that guide and protect the living.
Sacrifices: Animals, likely horses, cattle, or pigs, were ritually slaughtered and their blood used in blessing.
Feasting: A communal feast followed, with meat and mead shared between gods, dísir, and people.
Assembly: The rite coincided with the Disting, a gathering that combined legal matters, trade, and sacred ritual.
Focus on Women and Ancestors: Some traditions emphasised women as officiants, reflecting the close connection between the dísir and the maternal line of kinship.
Modern Observance
In modern Heathenry and Ásatrú, Dísablót is often celebrated in February or early March, close to the historical timing. Some even class it as International Womans day.
Practices today include:
Offering food, drink, and mead to the dísir and female ancestors.
Honouring the role of women in family and community.
Holding sumbel (ritual toasting) with a focus on remembrance and fate.
Some groups incorporate it into International Women’s Day observances, blending old tradition with modern context.
April – Sumarmál (Summer Finding) / Sigurblót (Victory Blót)
When: Mid-April, first day of the “summer half”
Focus: Odin, Tyr, and victory
History
The clearest reference comes from Heimskringla by Snorri Sturluson, where he explains that there were three great annual sacrifices in pagan Scandinavia:
Winter Nights (Vetrnætr) – for a good year and harvest.
Midwinter/Yule – for fertility.
Sigrblót – for victory.
Sigrblót was performed in early April, marking the transition from winter to summer in the old Norse calendar. It coincided with the start of the raiding, trading, and travelling season, when ships could once again sail the seas.
Purpose and Practice
The blót was specifically held to ensure victory - whether in battle, raiding, disputes, or simply survival in the coming year. The main deity invoked was Odin, the god of war, wisdom, and victory, though Týr and other gods connected with justice and battle may also have been honoured.
Victory here didn’t just mean war it also meant success in farming, trade, exploration, and all endeavours of the summer season.
Sigrblót was the victory sacrifice of spring, dedicated to Odin, marking the start of summer and ensuring triumph in battle, farming, trade, and all ventures. It was one of the most important turning points in the Norse ritual year.
Animal Sacrifice: Horses or other animals were likely sacrificed, with blood sprinkled on sacred objects, people, and spaces.
Feasting: The community shared the meat, binding themselves together in luck and victory.
Oaths & Divination: Warriors and leaders may have sworn oaths before the gods, or sought omens for the year’s ventures.
Communal Gathering: Sigrblót was both religious and social, a rallying point before people departed for raids, trade journeys, or summer farming.
Modern Observance
Heathens honour Odin and Tyr, asking for guidance in battles of life - both literal and symbolic. Some use this time to set personal goals for the year.
Today, many Heathens and Ásatr revive Sigrblót in April, celebrating it as:
A blót to Odin and the gods of victory.
A time to honour ancestors who sought victory in their struggles.
A symbolic marking of new beginnings, strength, and courage in personal and communal life.
Some also treat it as a day of oath-swearing, taking inspiration from saga traditions.
June – Midsummer (Sólblót / Sun-blót)
When: 20–21 June, Summer Solstice
Focus: Sunna (sun goddess), Baldr, fertility
History
Though not described in detail in sagas, solstice celebrations are deeply rooted in Scandinavian folk custom. Bonfires were lit to banish evil and strengthen fertility of fields and livestock. Across Indo-European cultures, the solstices were sacred. The Norse saw the turning of the year as liminal moments when the veil between worlds thinned, magic was potent, and offerings were needed to maintain cosmic balance.
Sun Worship: The Norse had a solar goddess, Sól (Sunna), who drove the sun’s chariot across the sky. Midsummer rites likely honoured her, asking for continued fertility and protection of crops.
Archaeological Evidence: Stone circles and burial sites in Scandinavia align with the midsummer sun, suggesting ceremonial use. Bonfire traditions also survive into modern Scandinavian folk customs, hinting at pagan roots.
Baldr Connection: Some scholars link midsummer to the god Baldr, a radiant, solar-like figure whose myths carry themes of light, renewal, and fragility.
In Scandinavia, St. John’s Day (June 24th) became the Christianised midsummer festival. Traditions like bonfires, flower wreaths, and fertility charms survived and are still celebrated today in Sweden (Midsommar), Denmark, Norway, and Iceland.
Purpose and Practice
Midsummer Blót (often called Sólblót, or Sun-blót) was the Norse/Germanic festival marking the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, when the sun stands at its highest and strongest. While less thoroughly attested in written sources than Yule or Winter Nights, there is both literary and archaeological evidence that midsummer was ritually significant in pre-Christian Scandinavia.
Hilltop bonfires.
Offerings to the sun, Baldr, and fertility gods.
Feasts and outdoor dances.
Modern Observance
Now celebrated with outdoor blóts, fires, and gatherings, often dedicated to Sunna or Baldr. For Heathens and Ásatrúar, Midsummer Blót is usually celebrated around 21st June (the solstice):
Offerings to Sunna (Sól), Baldr, and Freyr.
Outdoor rituals, often around a bonfire.
Seasonal feasting with summer foods (berries, bread, mead).
Symbolic acts like jumping fires, raising maypoles, or blessing fields.
August – Freyfaxi (Harvest Festival)
When: Late August – early September
Focus: Freyr, fertility, harvest abundance
History
The festival took place in late summer or early autumn, around the time of the first harvests. For the Norse and other Germanic peoples, this was a vital turning point in the year. The harvest determined whether communities would thrive or suffer through the coming winter. By offering thanks and sacrifices to Freyr, they sought to secure his continued favour, ensuring prosperity, fertility of the land, and good fortune.
Horses, which were strongly associated with Freyr, were central to some traditions. In certain accounts, horses may have been sacrificed during Freyfaxi as offerings, reflecting their sacred role in Norse spiritual life. Whether symbolic or literal, the presence of the horse highlights Freyr’s deep connection to fertility and the land.
Purpose and Practice
Freyfaxi, sometimes written as Freyfaxi or Frey’s Faxi, was a traditional harvest festival held in honour of the god Freyr, one of the most beloved deities of the Norse pantheon. Freyr was associated with fertility, abundance, prosperity, and peace, and his blessings were essential for the survival of agrarian societies. The name of the festival itself is believed to be connected to Faxi, meaning "mane," and possibly to Freyr’s sacred horse, which was symbolic of vitality, fertility, and strength.
Freyfaxi was celebrated through blót - sacrificial offerings of food, drink, and sometimes animals. Grain, bread, mead, and seasonal produce were presented as gifts to Freyr in gratitude for the harvest. These offerings were often followed by feasting, where the community gathered to share in the bounty. Like many Norse festivals, it was as much a spiritual act as it was a social one, reinforcing kinship ties, alliances, and the bonds between gods and humans.
The festival was also a time for oath-swearing and gift-giving, practices that held immense cultural significance in Norse society. These acts strengthened trust within the community and affirmed loyalty to both kin and gods.
Sacrifice of horses or livestock (historical).
Offerings of bread, ale, and grain.
Celebrations of fertility and thanksgiving.
Modern Observance
Today, Freyfaxi is celebrated by many Heathens and Ásatrú practitioners around late August or early September, aligning with the harvest season in the modern calendar. While animal sacrifice is generally not part of contemporary practice, offerings of bread, fruit, mead, and home-grown produce are common. Many modern rituals are held outdoors, in fields or near natural landmarks, to echo the agricultural and land-based spirit of the original festival.
Altars may be decorated with sheaves of grain, apples, and harvest symbols, and Freyr is honoured with prayers, invocations, and the sharing of food and drink. Some groups also incorporate symbolic references to horses, acknowledging their historic importance to Freyr’s worship. The emphasis today is on gratitude and abundance, as well as recognising humanity’s deep dependence on the cycles of nature.
September – Haustblót (Autumn Blót)
When: Mid to late September
Focus: Gratitude for harvest, preparation for winter
History
The autumn counterpart to Sigurblót, Haustblót marked the end of summer work and the storing of food. It was a time to give thanks and ensure divine blessing for the long winter. Haustblót, literally meaning “Autumn Sacrifice”, was one of the major seasonal blóts (sacrificial festivals) celebrated by the Norse and other Germanic peoples. It took place in early autumn, usually around late September to October, at the time of the harvest’s completion. The name comes from haust, the Old Norse word for “autumn” or “harvest.”
This blót was dedicated to thanking the gods, spirits, and ancestors for the bounty of the harvest while also seeking protection and prosperity through the coming winter months. In a world where survival relied on stored food, prepared livestock, and favour from the divine, Haustblót was both a religious and practical necessity.
Practice and Purpose
Haustblót marked the turning of the year from light to dark. It was a liminal time when people prepared for the “hard season.” The festival gave thanks for abundance while also recognising the fragility of life in the harsh northern climate. It was about balance: gratitude for what had been received and hope for what was yet to come.
The gods most associated with Haustblót were:
Freyr: god of fertility, agriculture, and prosperity. He was the primary focus of this blót, as he was seen as the giver of a good harvest.
Freyja: goddess of fertility, magic, and love, who was also invoked for blessings on families and households.
Njörðr: god of the sea and wealth, important for those whose survival depended on fishing and trade.
Ancestors and Land-spirits (landvættir): honoured to ensure continued protection and luck for the homestead.
The Haustblót was a community affair, though smaller households may have performed it on their own. The rites included:
Sacrifice: Livestock (often pigs or cattle) were sacrificed, and their blood (hlaut) was sprinkled on statues of gods, participants, and sacred spaces.
Feasting: The meat was consumed in a great communal meal, symbolising the sharing of bounty with gods and kin.
Offerings: Beer, mead, or ale was poured out for the gods and ancestors. Seasonal produce like apples, grain, and bread were also offered.
Divination: Some accounts suggest that autumn was also a time for seeking omens about the winter to come.
Modern Observance
Today, Heathens and modern Norse pagans often celebrate Haustblót in late September or early October, aligning it with the autumn equinox or harvest festivals. Practices may include:
Offering mead, cider, or bread to Freyr and Freyja.
Lighting candles for ancestors and sharing their names in sumbel (ritual toasting).
Feasting on seasonal foods such as apples, root vegetables, pork, or venison.
Holding outdoor rites to honour the land-spirits and give thanks for the earth’s bounty.
Haustblót is the festival of gratitude and preparation, a time when the Norse people gave thanks for the gifts of the land and sought blessings for survival through the long winter. It stood as a reminder of the close relationship between humanity, the gods, and the cycles of nature—a bond that modern practitioners continue to honour today.
October – Winter Nights (Vetrnætr)
When: Mid to late October (3 nights)
Focus: Beginning of winter, prosperity, ancestors
History
Ynglinga Saga records sacrifices “at winter nights for a good year.” This was a liminal moment: harvest was in, but winter survival was uncertain. The Disir and Freyr were especially honoured. For the Norse and other Germanic peoples, this was the time when summer officially ended and winter began - a crucial division in their year. Life depended on the harvest being brought in and livestock prepared for the long cold months ahead. Sacrifices and offerings ensured good fortune, survival, and prosperity through the dark season.
The sagas, such as Ynglinga Saga, describe that sacrifices were performed at Winter Nights “for a good year”. The focus was on fertility, good harvests, and blessings for the coming winter.
Purpose and Practice
Vetrnætr, meaning “Winter Nights” in Old Norse, was an important seasonal festival marking the transition into winter. It was not just a single evening but traditionally spanned three nights, usually around mid-to-late October, depending on the local climate and the end of the harvest season.
Animal sacrifice and shared feasts.
Ancestral rites and remembrance.
Mead offerings to fertility gods.
Deities and Spirits Honoured
Freyr: God of fertility, prosperity, and harvest.
The Dísir: Female ancestral spirits and protective goddesses, honoured in many households.
The Ancestors: The dead were remembered at this liminal time when the veil between worlds was considered thinner.
Ritual Practices
Sacrifices (Blót): Animals such as pigs, goats, or cattle were offered, their meat shared between gods and people in ritual feasts.
Feasting: Food and mead were enjoyed communally, reinforcing bonds between kin, ancestors, and gods.
Offerings: Mead, ale, and harvest goods like apples or bread were given.
Ancestral veneration: Families invoked and remembered their dead, seeking blessings and guidance.
Modern Observance
Observed by many Heathens in late October. Ancestors are honoured at altars, Freyr and Freyja receive offerings, and sumbel strengthens community ties. Today, many Heathens still celebrate Vetrnætr as one of the great holy tides. Modern rituals often include:
Blót to Freyr, Freyja, and the Dísir.
Setting up ancestor altars, lighting candles, and speaking the names of the departed.
Sumbel (ritual toasting) with mead or ale to gods, ancestors, and personal oaths.
Sharing seasonal foods such as root vegetables, bread, and cider.
Some modern practitioners align Winter Nights with Samhain (31st October) due to its ancestral focus, but the Norse timing would usually be earlier in the autumn, closer to the first frost.
Late October / November – Álfablót
When: Late October / November, flexible
Focus: The álfar (elves, land-wights)
History
Álfablót was a deeply private ritual, often held on farms, focused on appeasing land-spirits and elves. Women often led the rites. Travellers were excluded during this sacred time. It is unique because it was not a large communal blót like those at Uppsala or other cult centres. Instead, it was conducted on the farmstead level, led by the family and often presided over by the women of the household. Outsiders were not welcome - travellers could be turned away if they arrived during the rites.
The Icelandic skald Sigvatr Þórðarson, in his poem Austrfararvísur (c. 1019), describes being refused entry to a farm because the people were holding an Álfablót. This shows how intensely private and sacred the rite was, tied to the land and the ancestors of the family performing it.
Purpose and Practice
Álfablót was a private and highly localised ritual in Norse and wider Germanic tradition, dedicated to the álfar (elves) and often closely associated with the disir (female ancestral spirits) and the landvættir (land-spirits). It usually took place in autumn, around the end of the harvest season, often at the same time as Winter Nights (Vetrnætr).
Offerings of ale, meat, and bread at burial mounds or fields.
Quiet, family-centred rites.
While no direct descriptions of the rites survive, scholars reconstruct the following elements based on sagas and archaeology:
Offerings: Food, drink (especially ale or mead), and sometimes animal sacrifice were offered to the álfar.
Household-centred: Rituals took place at burial mounds, on the farmstead, or at sacred outdoor sites like groves.
Women officiants: Evidence suggests women often presided, reinforcing the role of female authority in ancestor and fertility rites.
Secrecy: Outsiders were strictly excluded, marking it as a deeply personal and familial rite rather than a public one.
Deities and Spirits Honoured
Álfar (elves): In Norse belief, the álfar were powerful spiritual beings, often associated with fertility, prosperity, and the honoured dead.
Ancestors: Álfablót often blurred the line between elves and the spirits of one’s forebears, meaning the ritual served as both ancestor veneration and land-ritual.
Landvættir: The spirits of the land itself may also have been honoured, ensuring harmony between humans and the unseen powers dwelling in the earth.
Modern Observance
Revived by Heathens as a private household rite, honouring elves, land-wights, and ancestors.
Today, Heathens often celebrate Álfablót in late October or early November, overlapping with Winter Nights. Modern practices include:
Leaving offerings of bread, apples, milk, or mead on ancestral altars or at burial sites.
Pouring libations to the álfar and the land-spirits, often outdoors.
Lighting candles for ancestors and inviting their presence.
Conducting the ritual privately or within one’s family, in keeping with historical tradition.
December 20 – Mothers’ Night (Mōdraniht)
When: Solstice Eve
Focus: Female spirits, ancestors, Disir
History
Recorded by Bede among the Anglo-Saxons, Mothers’ Night honoured “the Mothers.” Likely mirrored in Scandinavia. Symbolised rebirth at the darkest point of the year. Our earliest written record of Mothers’ Night comes from the Anglo-Saxon historian Bede (De Temporum Ratione, c. 725 CE). He describes it as an important heathen festival marking the start of the year, celebrated with sacrifices and feasts. Though his account is brief, it is considered a reliable glimpse into pre-Christian Germanic custom.
In Scandinavia, while the exact term Mothers’ Night is not recorded, there are strong parallels with the veneration of the dísir (female ancestral spirits) and the Nornir (weavers of fate). Scholars believe Mothers’ Night was a pan-Germanic festival, celebrated in both Anglo-Saxon England and the Norse world.
Purpose and Practice
Mothers’ Night, known in Old English as Mōdraniht and reconstructed in Old Norse as Móðurnótt, was a sacred festival held on the eve of Yule (the winter solstice). It was a time dedicated to the mothers, foremothers, and female spirits who watched over families, clans, and communities.
Offerings at hearths.
Honouring female ancestors.
Feasts of renewal.
Though little detail survives, historians and modern Heathens reconstruct the following elements:
Offerings: Food, drink, and sacrifices given to the maternal spirits and deities.
Feasting: Families gathered around the hearth or table to honour the women who sustained life.
Ancestral Veneration: Names of foremothers may have been recited or invoked.
Hearth Rituals: Since the hearth symbolised the home and maternal care, offerings were likely made there.
Who Were the "Mothers"?
The “mothers” honoured during this night are often linked with:
The Dísir: Protective female spirits connected to families, clans, and fate.
The Matronae: A widespread cult across Roman-era Germania honouring mother-goddesses, often depicted in groups of three.
Female Ancestors: Mothers, grandmothers, and foremothers who ensured continuity and survival of kin.
Divine Mothers: Possibly goddesses such as Frigg (queen of Asgard, associated with motherhood and family), Freyja (fertility, love, and magic), or local mother-deities.
Modern Observance
Now celebrated as the first night of Yule, with candles and libations to foremothers. Many Christmas customs descend from Yule. Today, Heathens and modern Norse pagans celebrate Mothers’ Night on the eve of Yule (December 20th or 21st). Practices include:
Lighting candles or fires in honour of foremothers.
Preparing offerings of bread, milk, mead, or seasonal food.
Setting aside a place at the table for ancestral mothers.
Invoking the dísir, the Norns, and goddesses such as Frigg or Freyja.
Telling stories about foremothers to keep their memory alive.
December 21 – January 1 – Yule (Jól)
When: Winter Solstice + 12 nights
Focus: Fertility, rebirth, ancestors, oaths
History
The greatest Norse festival. Lasting twelve nights, it celebrated renewal, honoured the gods, and welcomed the dead. Odin was believed to lead the Wild Hunt, and fertility sacrifices ensured abundance. Jól predates Christianity and was celebrated across Scandinavia, Iceland, and Germanic Europe. Sources like Snorri Sturluson’s Heimskringla and Ynglinga Saga describe Jól as a time when sacrifices (blót) were made for good harvests and fertility in the year to come. It was a liminal season when the veil between the living and the dead was thin, and the gods, spirits, and ancestors drew near.
The festival was also associated with Odin, who was believed to lead the Wild Hunt during Jól—a spectral procession of gods, warriors, and the dead across the winter skies. This imagery later influenced European folklore about ghostly hunts and even aspects of Santa Claus.
Purpose and Practice
Jól (commonly anglicised as Yule) was one of the most important festivals in the Norse and wider Germanic calendar. It was a midwinter celebration, deeply tied to themes of death, rebirth, luck, and the cycles of nature. Unlike the fixed dates of modern holidays, Jól was not confined to a single day - it lasted for many nights, traditionally twelve nights, beginning around the winter solstice in late December and stretching into early January.
Sacrifice of livestock, feasting, and mead.
Oath-swearing and boasts in sumbel.
Yule logs and evergreens.
Ancestor offerings and vigils.
Practices in the ‘Viking Age’
Blót (Sacrifice): Animals such as pigs, horses, or cattle were offered to the gods, with the meat shared among the community.
Feasting: Large gatherings were held with food, ale, and mead, celebrating abundance even in the darkest part of the year.
Sumbel (Ritual Toasts): Cups of mead or ale were passed, with toasts made to the gods, ancestors, and personal vows or boasts.
Ancestor Worship: Food and drink were set aside for the departed, who were thought to return during Jól.
Yule Log and Fires: A great fire or log was burned, symbolising warmth, protection, and the rebirth of the sun.
Evergreens and Symbolism: Pine, fir, and holly were used to decorate, symbolising life enduring through the dark winter.
Christian Transformation
With the coming of Christianity, Jól became merged with Christmas, and many of its traditions survived in altered form. The twelve days of Christmas, the Yule log, evergreen decorations, and even elements of Santa Claus trace their roots back to pre-Christian Jól customs.
Modern Observance
Still the central Heathen holy tide. Celebrated over 12 nights with blóts, feasts, and rituals. Today, Jól remains one of the most widely celebrated holidays among Heathens and Norse Pagans. It is seen as a season of hospitality, community, and remembrance, lasting twelve nights. Practices include:
Blót to gods such as Odin, Thor, Freyr, and the Disir.
Ancestor offerings, candle lighting, and vigils.
Sumbel ceremonies with toasts and oaths.
Gift-giving and feasting as symbols of luck and prosperity.
Jól captures the tension of winter darkness and the promise of returning light. It honours the gods, ancestors, and unseen forces while binding communities together in shared ritual. It is both a time of death and endings and of rebirth and beginnings, reflecting the Norse worldview of cyclical time.
The Norse ritual year was a living cycle of survival, reciprocity, and community. From Þorrablót in January through to Yule in December, every season was sanctified.
The old calendar was never rigid, but fluid, tied to the land and its signs. Today, modern Heathens adapt these festivals to their own lands and lives, but the rhythm remains: honouring gods, ancestors, and land-spirits at each turning of the year.
Hail the gods.
Hail the ancestors.
Hail the holy tides.