Þorrinn

Fourth winter month festival

Þorri

According to the old calendar, Thorri is the the fourth winter month, beginning on Friday in the 13th week of winter (January 19-25). The name first occurs in the Stadarholl version of the law code Gragas (13th century), but it is alos found in Snorri’s Edda (The Prose Edda), where the names of the months are listed. Many of the old months had more than one name, but Thorri seems to have had no alias.

It was apparently an age-old custom to have a celebration in the home on the first day of Thorri in order to greet it with proper respect. Jon Arnason’s Icelandic Folk and Fairy Tales (mid-19th century) describe it as “the duty of the farmer to welcome Thorri” or “usher it in” by rising earlier than anyone else on the farm, the first morning. He was to get up and go out clad only in a shirt, barefoot and partly barelegged, for he was to wear only one leg of his underpants, whle the other was to be dragged behind. Thus attired, he was to ... hop on one foot all around the farmhouse, still dragging his underpants on the other, and bid Thorri welcome to his home. Then he was to make a banquet for other farmers in the district ... In some places in northern Iceland, the first day of Thorri is still called “husband’s day”. On that date, the lady of the house is supposed to treat her husband exceptionally well; such festivities are still called Thorrablot (that is, sacrifice to Thorri).

This movable feast is held all through February or until the month Thorri finishes and Goa begins. Each community/company/family selects a day during that month and organises its individual celebrations. Traditional Icelandic delicacies feature prominently in the menu.