Winter Nights (Vetrnætr) takes place from Sunday, October 25, to Monday, November 9, 2026. It marks the transition from summer (sumarr) to winter (vetr) in the Old Icelandic/Nordic calendar. At this time only two seasons were recognized, summer and winter.
Like many of the winter celebrations, it is one of coming together as a community and boosting the morale of everyone to aid in the survival of winter with drinking, feasting and games. This would have been a time when anxieties peaked, a time that your physical and mental strength was truly put to the test. Luckily today, thanks to our technology and food availability it is not as stressful.
Today as modern Heathens we celebrate this time. Learn all about Winter Nights and how you can celebrate.
What is Winter-nights?
Today, in the winter, we can go to supermarkets and gas stations to partake in an abundance of food and drink options. However, this was not a thing in Ancient Scandinavia. For approximately 4 to 5 months, they would have to survive on what they had collected through the year and what little could be collected in winter.
The Scandinavians were (and are) a hardy people, there is no doubt about that, but even the strongest understand the dangers of running out of food. No matter how courageous and wise you are, the fear of starvation will always cause anxiety.
And so, Winter Nights, a time to celebrate and inspire for the challenges that come with winter. A time to remember what is important, a time to remember you are not alone, that you are part of a community.
Established by Odin
In Chapter 8 of Snorri Sturluson’s Ynglinga saga (free on Wikisource), Odin establishes Winter findings as the First Sacrifice at the start of Winter. This blot was held for a good year and would typically be the third night under the full moon.
When Is Winter nights?
Originally, Winter-nights was a 3-day celebration beginning on the first full moon after the first frost. This is because in Pre-Christian times Scandinavia worked on a system of lunar cycles and weather patterns. After all, their culture revolved around farming, and times of sowing and harvesting were dictated by the weather.
Since the introduction of the 12-month calendar in the late Iron Age, circa 800-1000CE, or what we more affectionately call the "The Viking Age", several groups have chosen to celebrate the event on a set date as opposed in line with the Norrøn system. Snorri Sturluson writes that midwinter celebrations lasted three days in his saga Hákonar saga góða.
The dates of Vetrnætr vary as it is a lunar holiday. In addition, different groups or countries may move dates somewhat in order to fit into a modern calendar. In some traditions it is celebrated after the first full moon after the first frost.
How did they Celebrate?
This is a simple and joyful holiday. The holiday was likely designed to relieve the anxiety of the challenges that would be faced through winter.
As such, one way you might celebrate is by inviting your loved ones and friends to gather round a fire, much like the Norrøn, welcoming winter with good food, drink, and song. Traditionally an animal was sacrificed, the meat eaten and the blood used in ritual to honor the gods.
The practice of sprinkling or smearing blood onto boulders, large stones, or outdoor altars is a well-documented ritual in ancient paganism, and often associated with Norse and Germanic pagan traditions during a Blót. Boulders or rock piles serve as natural, localized altars where the physical world intersects with the divine. Participants would ask for peace and a good year.
As the weather became colder the grass died back and the livestock were brought into barns. Grasses are harvested in late summer to feed during the winter. Older or extra animals would be slaughtered. With fresh meat it was a good time for a feast. Most of the meat be smoked, salted, dried, or turned into sausage for the winter. Depending on the location herbs and nuts were gathered, fish was smoked, cheese, and in some areas root vegetables were grown and stored.
In addition, this is a time to honor our ancestors. The Ancient Nordic people looked to their ancestors for guidance.
Honor the Disir
The Dísir are protective female spirits connected to kinship and place. Some are personal ancestors; others are broader land or clan guardians. They don’t live in a distant place. They are close, watching over us, and involved in daily life. Honoring the Dísir centers on respect for our lineage, gratitude for those who came before us, and care for future generations.
We also honor the Disir during Disablot. Read my article Disablot and Charming the Plow
honor Skaði and Ullr
There are two Norse Gods associated with winter, Skaði and Ullr. They are great to bring into your Winter Findings celebration.
Skadi
Skaði is a jötunn (giant) associated with the mountains, hunting, snow, ice, skiing, and cold. She is also known as Öndurguð the ski god. She is the daughter of the giant Þjazi, who was slain by the Norse gods.
Attested in the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Skadi takes direct revenge on Loki for his role in her father's death. She is the one who places the venom-dripping serpent above the bound Loki's face.
If you are interested in learning more about Loki I have a Deity Guide for Loki on Etsy.
Skaði lives up in the snow-covered mountains at her ancestral home, Þrymheimr. She was briefly married to Njörðr, the Vanir god of the sea, but they were unhappy living in each others homelands so they separated.
It’s fitting with this holiday to honor Skadi as she represents fierce self-reliance, athletic prowess, and the unforgiving power of the winter wilderness. You can honor her by:
Spend time alone or in quiet reflection outdoors
Learn and practice practical life skills
Decorate your altar with winter themes: snow representations, pinecones, shed antlers, or small representations of skis, snowshoes, or bows and arrows.
ULLR
Ullr is the Norse god of snow, skiing, archery, hunting, and single combat. He is a master skier, skater, and archer who glides across frozen landscapes and is often invoked before duels or when swearing solemn oaths on a ring.
He is the son of the goddess Sif and the stepson of the god Thor. In chapter 31 of Gylfaginning in the Prose Edda. Ullr is mentioned in the poem Grímnismál from the Poetic Edda, where Ullr’s home of Ýdalir is mentioned.
There are many places in Sweden and Norway named for him. In the 1100s Saxo Grammaticus wrote a history of the Danes and he included stories of a magician named Ollerus which is likely a Latin version of Ullr.
Many skiers and outdoor enthusiasts wear a small metal or wooden medallion of Ullr for good luck on the slopes.
Sacrifice/Offerings
My recommendation would be a celebration of family and a sacrifice to one or both of these Gods to ask for the continued health of your family and community in the lead-up to Yule.
A sacrifice is simply the giving up of anything you could have gained pleasure or other benefits from in the name of A God or other being, you may wish to offer things more closely associated with the God being honored.
You might choose to leave an offering such as Mead, Ale, or Whiskey (non-alcohol versions or juice is totally acceptable). They both appreciate game meats, jerkies, or hearty cooked meals.
Or even by simply giving up that Jelly Donut, you have been really excited about, in the name of A God. The God doesn't literally collect your offering but instead, you are saying 'Honoring (your diety) is more important to me than this treat'.
Ways To Honor The Deities During This Season
As we know many people in the world still face food shortages, polluted drinking water, and are unemployed. Donating to a food pantry, working at a soup kitchen, humane society, or other charitable donations would bring your family closer to the struggles that are faced by many.
You could even spend some of your time quietly contemplating a specific God. There is, after all, nothing more precious than your time.
Create an ancestor altar. You can see an example here
Have a feast!
Divination
During this time it was felt that females had extra ordinary perception abilities such as seeing into the future and telling someone about there fates.
Winter Nights is often considered a liminal point of transition into the dark, and more dangerous, half of the year. One reason it is sometimes associated with the Celtic holiday Samhain.
Female Leadership
In Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks (The Saga of Hervör and Heidrek), written in the 13th century, combines several older oral literature tales and is primarily a story of battle and the dwarf-forged sword Tyrfingr. However, in one story the ruler King Álfr of Álfheimr celebrates Vetrnætr. His daughter, Álfhildr, is chosen to conduct the sacred rites. As part of the ceremony, it describes her"reddening a hǫrgr (altar) with blood," to honor the gods.
This narrative is highly prized by historians because it connects a woman to the physical slaughter or handling of sacrificial animal blood (reddening the altar) giving an example of a women holding a vital religious/priestely role in pre-Christian Germanic/Norse society.
Jackson Crawford, a Norse Professor, wrote Two Sagas of Mythical Heroes which tells the full tale and is quite the exciting read!
Check out my video! Celebrate the Norse Winter Nights, (Vetrnætr) honor your ancestors, Skadi and Ullr. Transition to the dark, cold season of winter. Celebrate, feast, sacrifice, observe old rituals, and create modern ones.
The wild hunt
The Wild Hunt, where a group of riders, led by Odin, sweep across the night sky or through midwinter forests. Following Odin is a motley crew consisting of the souls of the dead, ghostly hounds, Valkyries, and the fae.
It is said that one thing the Hunt does is collect the souls of those who missed their scheduled day of death. It does this by compelling those who have somehow avoided their final day to look up. It is said that should you look up and see the Wild Hunt, that it will collect you and take you to Hel.
Odin is known by many names including Jólnir and is connected to midwinter and the Yule season. He commanded the dead, practiced shamanic vision (seidr), and roamed the cosmos when the sun dipped lowest.
Read my blog about Yule Celebrate Yule: Pagan Families
While I can not speak to others, I tend to avoid looking up as the weather begins to cool. We know it's safe to do so again when we wake up to a frost across the ground. Many believe that the first frost is left in the hunt's wake, letting you know that it has passed for the year. This also marks the first day of winter.
Oath Ceremony
With the above information in mind, this would be a great time of the year for an oath ceremony as part of your Winter-nights celebration. Only do this if you have truly and carefully considered any oath that you plan on making.
Things To Be Wary Of! Advice From Goði Anlengðarclan
The Norrønt word for Winter-nights is Vetr-nætr, and should not be confused with the other common mention of winter, Vetr, called Fimbul-Vetr. The latter being the Long Winter, or winter that lasts as long as three winters combined, this marks the beginning of Ragnarok.
Another thing to look out for is overwriting others' holidays. After all, we Norrøn folk are well known for our ability to feast and partake in merriment at the drop of a hat!
The final thing to be wary of is an abundance of 'factual' information. The saddening reality is that very little information exists, especially in regards to holidays such as Winters Nights.
My advice for Norse Heathens:
Approaching sources logically, if it talks about celebrating Winter-nights with things that are typically found in summer, then it's safe to say it's less reliable.
Learning about and understanding the person writing the source.
Maybe most importantly, remember, all traditions start someone. Just because Winter-nights were not celebrated with an annual beer pong tournament with your neighbors, there is no reason you can't add that to your celebrations.
Take Away
Winter-nights is a celebration of acceptance of upcoming challenges and also a reminder that you are always surrounded by people who care, that you are never alone. That no matter how hard things get, if you work together, you will get through it.
In this day and age, when we as a species are more divided than ever, I can't imagine a more important holiday.
May the trees on your journey always bear fruit.
Updated October 23, 2026 by Erik Olsen
Original article written in 2021 by Guest Author, Goði Anlengðarclan, a devoted Norrøn pagan for over ten years, and dedicated teacher of the traditionalist ways of the Ancient Scandinavian Religion."
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