There are two approaches to throwing a party to get through the darkest and coldest part of winter: you can embrace the freeze with ice sculptures, ice castles, ice what-have-you, or, you can try to beat back the cold with brute force by burning as many things as possible.

Taking the path of least resistance: Harbin, China and Quebec, Canada. Harbin is in far northeastern China, further north than the dreary Russian port of Vladivostok, and has freezing temperatures for nearly half the year. The locals make the most of it, though, with the world’s largest Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, which they’ve hosted every winter since 1985. Running from January 5 through mid-to-late February, this year’s edition features 2,000 ice sculptures, illuminated replicas of landmark buildings made of stacked ice blocks, and mammoth snow-sculpture of Niagara Falls. Smaller in scale, but closer to home, Quebec city’s Winter Carnival distinguishes itself with snow baths (??), snow slides, cross-country skiing, dogsled races, and their mascot, the creepy, Stay-Puft-Marshmallow-Man-like Bonhomme Carnaval.

The residents of Scotland’s Shetland islands, on the other hand, won’t take their cold, dreary winter lying down. On the last Tuesday of every January (that would be Tuesday, the 30th), towns throughout Shetland give themselves over to the fire festival cryptically known as Up Helly Aa, an event that’s one-part Victorian invention, and one-part recognition of the area’s deep Nordic, pagan roots (Shetland is closer to Norway, than to Scotland). The largest event takes place in Lerwick, where nearly 1,000 torch-bearers parade through the darkened streets at nightfall. The torch-bearers are divided into 40 all-male crews, each with matching costumes, and are lead by the “Jarl” and his men, who have spent the previous year making meticulously detailed Viking outfits, and a model longship. The crews proceed through the town, with the longship in tow, and at a designated point they all circle round and pitch their torches into it, burning it to the ground. Then the focus shifts to parties that rage til dawn, held in every large space all over town. The crews visit each fest in turn, performing a song or skit at each one, with drinks on the house. Ain’t no party like a Viking party.

– Festivals
– “Quebec: Winter Carnival”
– “Vikings and Up Helly Aa” (The Scotsman)
– “Severe north China winters a boon for ice artists (BBC)
– “In pictures: Harbin ice festival” (BBC)