Winter Day (Winter Nights) among the pagans (Scandinavian New Year)

The pagan holiday Winter Nights is celebrated on the last Saturday of October Sometimes it is called Winter's Day or Windnetr The Winter Nights holiday was common among the Scandinavians: that is why it is called the Old Scandinavian New Year In the northern latitudes, this day symbolized the transition from a fertile autumn to a harsh, hungry winter At this time of year in Iceland, Norway and Finland, the sun sets very quickly below the horizon The Vikings believed that on Winter nights nature died, leaving man without help, the wheel of fate completed its turn They considered Vetrnetr a time of general renewal, so they got rid of everything old and unnecessary The Scandinavians initially celebrated this holiday for several days, en masse slaughtering cattle, which, with the onset of cold weather, had nothing to feed Young people preferred to have weddings on Winter nights, because it was at that time that there was a lot of meat The symbol of Winter Nights is a flame that allows you to survive the winter Fire symbolized life's trials and subsequent purification It was believed that Vetrnetr should not be carried out in the darkness, as it brings troubles and misfortunes to people Traditionally, Winter nights are a time when a person goes through some kind of test, proving to himself and society his strength and skill The Scandinavians burned high fires at the temples so that the young men could take part in the initiation rite Having successfully completed it, young people began to be considered in society as full-fledged warriors and hunters Adult men competed in prowess, and Winter nights often ended in brutal beatings During this period, symbolizing the point of transition to difficult trials, the tribe held elections for a leader Sometimes elections ended in a bloody redistribution of power This is explained by the fact that the weak leader could not lead the tribe during the harsh winter It was believed that with the onset of Winter nights, nature ceases to exude vitality Therefore, people were advised to distract themselves from obtaining food and turn to their own spiritual development Winter Day is a day associated with death It was believed that death as a continuation of life inevitably leads to rebirth On this day, the Scandinavians commemorated the dead and also made sacrifices to the gods in gratitude for the fruitful year Winter nights could not be spent alone; one had to stay close to one's family It was also mandatory to spend these holidays in fun It was believed that a sad and gloomy person could bring misfortune to his family and his tribe Northern Europeans were early influenced by Christianity Pagan holidays that existed in Scandinavia were strictly prohibited In the modern world, Vetrnetr is celebrated only as a folklore holiday In Scandinavian countries, various thematic festivals and reconstructions of Viking battles are held on this day