Þorrablót, Icelandic midwinter festival Jan 23, 2026

Þorrablót, Icelandic midwinter festival

When January"s chill grips Iceland, locals turn to warmth and tradition with Þorrablót—a midwinter festival rooted in Viking heritage. Named after Þorri, a winter figure from Norse mythology, this celebration began as a sacrificial feast to honor the gods and ensure survival through harsh winters. Today, it"s a lively cultural event that blends history with hearty camaraderie.

© Christophe Lehenaff/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jan 23, 2018Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil
Jan 23, 2019Celebrating Pie Day is as easy as, well…
Jan 23, 2020Across the great plains of Africa
Jan 23, 2021A sleeping green giant
Jan 23, 2022Wedded Rocks, Japan
Jan 23, 2023Moai statues on Easter Island, Chile
Jan 23, 2024Atolls in the Maldives
Jan 23, 2025Sundance Film Festival

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 8, 2023Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Arkansas
Sep 9, 2020Where the bearded reedling sings
Dec 31, 2024New Years Eve in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Jul 31, 2024Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
May 31, 2024Gunnerside, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
Mar 13, 2019A look at Uranus, seventh planet from the sun
Apr 21, 2023Procida, Italy
Feb 24, 2025Group of giant cuttlefish, Whyalla, South Australia
Sep 30, 2018Aw shucks, it’s oyster season in Galway
Oct 27, 2022Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy
Nov 21, 2021The Great Glen
Jun 30, 2023Brown bears in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Oct 7, 2024Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany
Feb 27, 2020Three cheers for polar bears!
Feb 18, 2022Great Backyard Bird Count
Jun 22, 2020Pollinators: not to be sneezed at
Sep 28, 2022A. M. Foster Bridge in Cabot, Vermont
Jan 15, 2020Harvest season begins
Jul 12, 2022Bay Marker Lookout, Sydney Olympic Park, Australia
Jul 16, 2018Instant romance
Nov 15, 2022River otters at Acadia National Park, Maine
Jan 16, 2021Oh, to sleep under the northern lights
Dec 18, 2019It’s Weihnachtsmarkt time!
Jun 13, 2019A unique elephant encounter in Nantes
Oct 23, 2021Eurasian scops owl
Oct 1, 2021What s better than a smile?
Jun 7, 2024World Oceans Day
Dec 12, 2023Poinsettia Day
Nov 13, 2020Once upon a midafternoon dreary…
Apr 16, 2021 A theatrical dream