Merry Christmas! Now is the perfect time to share why Christmas is one of the most awaited seasons of the year in Iceland. People prepare for Iceland’s wonderfully weird traditions that many get excited about as they look forward to good food, a festive mood, and both quality and quantity time spent with loved ones.
In this episode, I share the wonderfully weird traditions of Christmas in Iceland like the Book Flood of Christmas, the story of Iceland’s “Santa Claus” — the Yule Lads, and the strange delicacies we prepare during this time of the year. I’m going to talk about the activities you can do and the reasons why Icelanders celebrate such customs and practices during this special time of the year.
On January third, if anyone asks me, ‘How WAS your Christmas?” I say, ‘Christmas is not over yet.’ - Sigrun
In This Episode of The Sigrun Show:
- How I came to appreciate Christmas in Iceland
- What the Book Flood of Christmas is about
- Knowing the Yule Lads as Iceland’s Santa Claus
- The famous lunch — a strange smelling fish
- Taking a stroll on Shopping Street as a tradition
- The date and time when Christmas in Iceland officially starts
- Eating the traditional Hangikjöt, or Icelandic smoked lamb
- What happens on the “second” and “third” day of Christmas
- Operating hours of shops in Iceland in December
- Why there is the tradition to give people time off during the three-day Christmas celebration
- Why Rescue Teams sell fireworks
- The point of going to a bonfire on New Year’s Eve
- The significance of watching the yearly Annual Sketch
- When Christmas officially ends
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