Feasts and Celebrations | Follow The Vikings (2024)

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Feasts and Celebrations | Follow The Vikings? ›

The Vikings celebrated key seasonal festivals which included the spring festival of Ostara, the summer solstice festival of Midsummer, the autumn harvest festival of Mabon, and the midwinter festival of Yule, marking the winter solstice and the rebirth of the sun.

At Viking feasts, common foods included meats such as beef, pork, and lamb, seafood like fish and shellfish, vegetables, legumes, and a variety of breads and fruits. Dairy products, especially cheese and butter, were also prevalent, complemented by alcoholic beverages like mead and beer.

Vikings buried their dead in boats

To guarantee safe passage, they believed that boats were the perfect vessels to transfer their fallen friends into the afterlife.

The three holidays we know of from Norse sources (Winter Nights, Sigrblót and Yule) all were said to come accompanied by a sacrifice (Blót). People associate different holidays with different Gods or spirits and if they feel inclined to make an offering to that God or spirit, then that's exactly what they do!

Focus on incorporating plenty of leafy green and root vegetables, along with seasonal fruits, particularly antioxidant-packed berries and energy-rich nuts. Whole grains like barley and rye bread should also feature prominently in your meals, just as they did in the Viking era.

Yule (also called Jul, jól or joulu) is a winter festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples that was incorporated into Christmas during the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples.

The Vikings celebrated key seasonal festivals which included the spring festival of Ostara, the summer solstice festival of Midsummer, the autumn harvest festival of Mabon, and the midwinter festival of Yule, marking the winter solstice and the rebirth of the sun.

They called it “Yule” which is pronounced the same as the word for Christmas in Norway today “Jul”. The Vikings believed Odin, the great God, and father of other gods, would ride across the night sky and visit them in their homes.

Despite their reputation as brave warriors and terrifying raiders, the Vikings spent most of their time farming and fishing. The Vikings grew wheat to make bread and beer, and raised animals such as sheep, pigs and cattle. The seas were very important for Viking life and fishing provided a big part of the Viking diet.

The Vikings needed all the energy that they could get in the form of fat – especially in winter. Meat, fish, vegetables, cereals and milk products were all an important part of their diet. Sweet food was consumed in the form of berries, fruit and honey. In England the Vikings were often described as gluttonous.

Did Vikings celebrate birthdays? ›

Most people in the Middle Ages didn't celebrate birthdays. Parents did, however, keep track of their children's ages. This might have been done by months or seasons rather than actual dates.

The most famous of these was Jól, which became Christmas as the Vikings adopted Christianity. They would also have celebrated any important event that touched their families or their community: weddings, births, deaths, a successful raid or a trading voyage would all be used as an excuse to party.

In some forms of modern Germanic paganism, Ēostre (or Ostara) is venerated. Regarding this veneration, Carole M. Cusack comments that, among adherents, Ēostre is "associated with the coming of spring and the dawn, and her festival is celebrated at the spring equinox.

Yule is a festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples. It is observed from Dec 21st – Jan 1st and is also called: Yuletide, Yulefest Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin. The word is conjectured in an explicitly pre-Christian context primarily in Old Norse.

Typical Viking Meal

The first meal, the "dagmal" (day meal) would likely be leftover stew from the night before served with bread and pickled or dried fruit. In the evening, the "nattmal" (night meal) could be fish or meat, stewed with vegetables and served with ale or mead.

There are a few important factors which influence human height. Actually they were not in many cases, the average Danish Viking was only 5'7, the average Norwegian Viking was 5'6 to 5'8 and the Swedes also known as Rus were the tallest of the bunch at 5'10 and up.

Vikings held feasts for a variety of reasons, seasonal feasts such as Winter Nights and Jul, harvest festivals such as Mabon, religious rituals, and for more personal reasons such as a wedding or a celebration of a successful raiding voyage.

Vikings buried their dead in boats

Vikings didn't just use boats for raiding and pillaging - they also played a key role in burying the dead. Based on Norse religion, Vikings believed that valiant warriors entered the glorious realm of Valhalla after an honourable demise.

Sunday and Monday are named after the celestrial bodies, Sun and Moon, but the other days are named after Norse gods; Tyrs's day, (W)odin's day, Thor's day and Frigg's day. Saturday does not follow the same pattern, and the name actually means 'hot water day', which can be translated as 'washing day' or 'bathing day'.

What did Vikings eat for dinner? ›

Typical Viking Meals

The children would usually have porridge and dried fruit or, on occasion, buttermilk and bread. A Viking dinner or evening meal was called Nattmal, which they would have at the end of their working day. This meal consisted of meat with stewed vegetables accompanied by an ale drink.

Sweet food was consumed in the form of berries, fruit and honey.

For a large part of the population everyday food would have been porridge (made from barley or oats), sourdough rye bread with butter, cheese or possible sausage. Hot meals would primarily have been soups and stews with meat, fish and vegetables.

The sacrificial rituals of the Vikings ranged from great festivals in magnate's halls to offerings of weapons, jewellery and tools in lakes. Humans and animals were also hung from the trees in holy groves, according to written sources.