Copyright and Licences Research Services Leiðarvísar is at Landsbókasafn Íslands Háskólabókasafn 2025-07-21 Bestu fjölmiðlar Ís

Copyright and Licences Research Services Leiðarvísar is at Landsbókasafn Íslands Háskólabókasafn Content An Icelandic guide to Creative Commons (CC) Licences Publishing Agreements and Copyright Creative Commons (CC) License Chooser Small Group Silver Circle Tour in West Iceland from Reykjavik with Optional Activities Copyright Easter Sunday Maundy Thursday This strange tradition may be based on the Catholic liturgical part of the service of Lent, when the priest uses a wand to sprinkle holy water on the congregation… Another tradition that follows this day, which is mostly gone today, is that children would decorate sticks with colored paper and other things and sneak upon their parents and spank them while yelling, "Bolla, bolla, bolla!" In the few days preceding this Monday, bakeries all over the country start baking cream buns, traditionally filled with cream and jam, though many different kinds of buns are available as well. While the religious connotations of this day are totally gone at this point, the tradition still remains to stuff yourself with food and treats. During Lent, people used to fast for 40 days, the number of days Jesus spent fasting in the desert while enduring the temptation by Satan. Traditionally, this day precedes the Christian tradition of Lent, usually observed within Catholicism, which Iceland belonged to until 1550 when it turned Protestant. It's the time of year when you start seeing items like ram's testicles, sheepshead's paté, blood sausage, and fermented shark appear on the shelves of supermarkets around the country. These events typically combine traditional Þorri food, live music, speeches, and social gatherings, alongside smaller private Þorrablót hosted by companies, clubs, and families. This day is sometimes directly translated as "Farmer's Day," but the word "bóndi" is an old word and used to simply mean "head of the household" (related to the English word husband), but it usually refers to farmers these days. Shops will be closed, and you will have to make dinner reservations if you plan on eating out. Anyone can light fireworks, and many do, resulting in one of the most magnificent and breathtaking informal fireworks displays you could ever hope to see. The last Yule Lad leaves on the 6th of January, making it the 13th and last day of Christmas, simply called "The Thirteenth" (Þrettándinn). While the midsummer festivals are much more prominent in Scandinavia than in Iceland, this day has a lot of Icelandic folklore surrounding it. A great way to explore the country during this time is with the many available midnight sun tours in Iceland. As Reykjavik is not really a hub of fishing anymore, while towns and villages around the country that still rely more heavily on the fishing industry for employment will celebrate this day more than the city folks in Reykjavik. It originated in 1894 when the merchants of all the major shops in Reykjavik offered to give their employees a day off to have fun. Whit Sunday is a public holiday that commemorates the day when the Holy Spirit was revealed to the apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ. An Icelandic guide to Creative Commons (CC) Licences Maybe it's because of the especially harsh circumstances of this day in 1918 that a tradition of celebrating it never quite took a foothold in Iceland. On this day in 1918, the current flag officially became the flag of Iceland, with its red cross with white borders on a blue field. This festival originated in 1995 when it was decided in the Icelandic parliament that the Icelandic language should be celebrated once a year with a special day. As of right now, the President of Iceland is Halla Tómasdóttir, whose birthday is on October 11th, making it a flag day in Iceland. Iceland has more than 10,000 waterfalls, and these 20 are the ones worth planning a trip around. Learn everything you need to know about the midnight sun and daylight hours in Iceland. Now based in downtown Reykjavík, I write about travel, music, culture, and local experiences while helping businesses communicate through clear, effective copywriting and marketing. So, while December 13th is not celebrated as a holiday on its own, it is awaited with anticipation by a huge part of the Icelandic population and is the time when the Christmas season really goes into full force! December 13th is the day children put one shoe in the window as the first Yule Lad comes to town and leaves them a little present during the night. That year, a bill was introduced in parliament to declare December 1st a public holiday, so it may finally be properly celebrated in Iceland… Publishing Agreements and Copyright The tradition of eating meat on this day may have originated from Mardi Gras, which in French means "Fat Tuesday" and involves the consumption of rich, fatty foods such as meat in preparation for Lent. It always lands somewhere between January 19th and the 25th, and in 2026, it falls on Friday, January 23. In this article, we will go over each public holiday on the Icelandic calendar and tell you about why it's celebrated, what traditions the day carries, and to what extent stores and restaurants are closed during that day. If you plan ahead, you can enjoy both the festivities and the everyday charm of Iceland, from swimming in geothermal pools during quiet holidays to joining crowds in Reykjavik’s spirited celebrations. You can expect supermarkets and shops to be closed, but more bars and restaurants will be open than the night before. Some will use this day to indulge in festivities with extended family, attend large buffets at a relative's house, or host one themselves. The most famous of these festivals is called Þjóðhátíð, the "National Festival," and it is held on the picturesque Westman Islands. During this day, most workplaces are closed, and celebrations are held all over the country. Creative Commons (CC) License Chooser Parents often give their children a summer gift on this day, an Icelandic tradition that is 400 years older than the custom