Photo of the Day

May 11, 2019

Fire Festival

The Up Helly Aa festival takes place every year in the Shetland islands, just to the north of Scotland. "Dating from the 19th century," explains Your Shot photographer Laurence Norah, "the festival involves a parade of 1,000 torch bearing men through the town, culminating in the burning of he Viking longship, which is then followed by a night of dancing, drinking and merriment which lasts well into the following day. This was the moment the torches were thrown into the Viking longship by the 1,000 strong marchers." This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram. Follow us on Instagram at @natgeoyourshot or visit us at natgeo.com/yourshot for the latest submissions and news about the community.
Photograph by Laurence Norah, National Geographic Your Shot

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