Vetrnætr, also known as Winter Nights, is a Norse winter festival that marks the end of summer, the start of winter, and the beginning of a new year. It was originally celebrated in pre-Christian Scandinavia as the harvest ended and winter weather began.

Nights have started to get longer, weather gets colder, and all of the crops are in. Historically, this is the time when our ancestors would assess their harvest and determine how much of their livestock they could feed with the stores, and what animals would butcher to feed their family with through the winter. 

Now is a time in which the rhythms of life turn inward, towards contemplation and trying to understand the deeper mysteries of life. It is through the ancestors and those humans that have come before us that we have all the knowledge which we have in human society. 

All these things are the sum total of human heritage and the source of our knowledge that allows us to survive and thrive as a species. By turning to the past and studying the wisdom of our ancestors we tap into that knowledge.

Vetrnætr is one of the most important celebrations on the Heathen calendar. It's held 28 days after the Autumn equinox. In 2023, Vetrnætr starts on October 28th. This celebration is the first of three called for by Odin in the Ynglinga Saga as told by Snorri Sturluson. 

How to celebrate with family:

1. Feast: Come together with friends and family to enjoy a big harvest feast, but remember your sumbel and blót first!

2. Welcome your ancestors: Light a candle with a picture representing your departed loved ones. Make sure you set an extra plate at your table for your ancestors and welcome their spirit to the table. Share stories of your ancestors and why they are honourable. Feel free to talk about your departed family members, friends or animals. All are closest to you at this time and they live on through our memories. 

3. Follow your family tree: Even if you don't have a gathering with family, Vetrnætr is still a great night to open your genealogy chart. Learning the history of your lineage is a fun way to honour your origins. Share you findings with your kin. Invite them to take part. You may learn something new about yourselves in the process.

4. Visit a farm. Find out where your food comes from locally. Educate yourself and your family on the cycle of life on a farm and reflect how that applies to your life.

5. Create a simmer pot of cinnamon, oranges, apples, star anise, rosemary and clove. Alternatively, light a candle with similar scents. Fill your home with the smells and intentions of the season. 

6. Honor your god(s): In the old tradition, people would offer the blood of their meal to a deity. In modern practices, people make symbolic sacrifices by offering a drink or meal. Some go as far as throwing a portion of their favourite food into a bonfire. This sacrifice is called a blót.

7. Honor Hel: Hel cares for our ancestors and will one day care for us, and in turn those people serve her. Visit a graveyard and clean some graves, spend time with folk on the verge of death and bring them comfort, build an altar in her honor with bones and dying vegetation. By honoring her, she passes on that good will to our kin. 

8. Honoring Freyr: Freyr is the god of the harvest and deserves many thanks for the season's bounty. Freyr is also the lord of the Alfar, the male ancestors, drawing a connection between his worship and Winter Nights. Light a big fire. Feast on the fruits of your labor. Visit the tail end of the season's farmers markets and purchase local produce; don't forget to thank the individual who worked hard over the summer to grow the food. 

9. Honor Odin: Odin is the allfather, the ruler of the gods. He is the one who is said to call for this celebration. Pour him out a libation of mead and ask for his blessing upon your household as we enter into the dark season.