What object is traditionally burned during Hogmanay in the Shetland Islands?

A tar barrel is traditionally burned during the Up Helly Aa-related New Year celebrations in the Shetland Islands.

In the custom known as tar-barrel burning, people carry barrels filled with burning tar through the streets before the barrels are placed on a bonfire. The practice is associated particularly with Lerwick and other Shetland communities, though local forms and event arrangements differ.

The ritual is often discussed alongside Shetland’s better-known Up Helly Aa fire festivals, which are held later in winter and are not simply the same event as Hogmanay. New Year traditions across Scotland vary considerably, so the tar barrel should not be confused with the first-footing customs common elsewhere in the country.