WATCH: Women Join Viking Festival in Scotland for First Time in 140+ Years

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For the first time in 140+ years, the Shetland Islands’ Up Helly Aa Viking festival was open to women to participate, too.

According to the BBC, the long-running event is intended to celebrate the Scottish islands’ Norse heritage and includes many traditions, including the burning of a replica Viking ship.

Per Reuters, opening the ceremonies to women is the culmination of a campaign that first started in the 1980s.

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