You know what makes for the best travel memories?
Those experiences that aren’t planned and you just wander into!
One of my favorite travel memories, the local wine festival in Korcula the Viking and I stumbled onto one evening. Spending the night tasting local wine, dancing with the locals and enjoying the celebration, that was a travel memory to remember!
After getting to experience the local festival in Korcula I now always research if there will be any festivals or holidays happening in the area I will be traveling while I am there. What better way to get a taste for the local culture than to join in on one of their celebrations?!
If this type of travel experience sounds like your kinda thing save this post because I’m about to share some of the unique Icelandic holidays. Now you can be sure to plan your trip around the holiday that sounds the most fun to you! Or just keep coming back from them all, that is the best idea in my opinion:)
New Years Eve
Okay, starting this off with New Years Eve, I know, not unique to Iceland, but here me out. If there is one holiday you have to experience in Iceland it is New Years Eve! Never have I experienced a NYE celebration like the one in Reykjavik. The entire city lights up with fireworks all evening long with the most amazing display you will ever see at midnight. It is terrifying and amazing all at the same time, add it to your bucket list!
Þorrablót
If you are the adventurous foodie type this holiday is for you! Þorrablót is a midwinter celebration in honor of the Viking norse god Þor. Starting in mid-January and continuing through mid-February, Þorrablót celebrations include singing, dancing, reciting of poems and eating as much traditional Icelandic food as possible. And the traditional Icelandic food you get to enjoy…. slatur (the Icelandic version of haggis), boiled lamb heads, rotten shark and ram testicles. I for one have yet to join in on this celebration but if you give it a try let me know what you think!
Bóndagur and Konudagur
Didn’t you guys know that the Viking and I had our own holiday?!
Joke, but these two holidays, they are all about celebrating the man or the woman, so I am dubbing the Viking and I as models for this holiday:)
The first of these days is Bóndagur, which means “Farmers Day” or “Husbands Day”. This day marks the beginning of the Þorrablót month and is a day that ladies are supposed to treat their special man extra nice, kind of like a Valentine’s Day but just for men. I bought my Viking hamburgers to celebrate this year, he thinks I is always complaining that I never let him cook his hamburgers (I can’t stand the smell in our tiny flat, but they are his favorite!) so this was a treat:).
Next up is the main day to care about, Konudagur, “Womens Day” or “Wives Day”. This day is one month later and marks the start of the month of Góa. People often say that if you can make it to the month of Góa than you have survived winter and can start looking forward to spring. On Konudagur, just like Bóndagur, the men treat their woman to special treats like flowers and chocolates. I got flowers, which really did make me look forward to spring!
Bolludagur
Okay, this picture is from two years ago and is small and does not do the delicious bun justice, but to give you an idea of what I am talking about, that picture is of the bun I devoured on my first Bolludagur in Iceland.
So what is this bun day?
Bolludagur, “Bun Day”, is celebrated two days before the start of Lent. It is believed that bakers from Norway and Denmark introduce this tasty holiday to Iceland in the 19th century. On Bolludagur delicious pastry buns that are filled with jam and cream and topped with chocolate are enjoyed by all. Over the years though the bakers have outdone themselves, this year I saw buns filled with caramel sauce, coconut, and one even had a chocolate bar in the middle!
The tradition says that you can’t buy your own “Bolla” instead you need to get someone to buy it for you. According to the tradition, if you manage to spank someone in the morning and say Bolla they owe you a Bolla. Children even make themselves a special “Bolla paddle” to try and sneak in on Monday morning and wake their parents up with. The amount of spankings you get in equals the amount of Bollas you get! My work always orders a bunch of bolla’s for the office so I just avoid the whole spanking part of the holiday.
Spregnidagur and Öskudagur
Following Bolludagur is Spregnidagur and Öskudagur.
Spregnidagur, “Bursting Day”, involves more food, but no more of those tasty buns. On Spregnidagur you are supposed to eat as much as you can of salted meat (usually lamb) and split pea soup to the point of “bursting”. I have yet to join in on the bursting fun.
The next day, and the last of the three day long carinval week celebration, is Öskudagur, “Ash Wednesday”. This is on the first day of Lent and after all the food that was consumed the two days before this day marks the start of the fast. This day reminds me of an Icelandic version of Halloween with children dressing up in costumes and going to shops and businesses for candy. The children must sing before they can get their treats and don’t go around neighborhoods knocking on household doors.
Sumardagurinn Fyrstu
This was how I celebrated Sumardagurinn Fyrstu, “First Day of Summer”, last year, and it was pretty much the greatest day ever! Sumardagurinn Fyrstu is celebrated on the first Thursday after April 18th, this day comes from the old Norse calendar which divided the year into winter and summer. I don’t even care that the weather is no where near what I would classify as “summery”, we get a day off work to adventure around Iceland!
Sjómannadagur
This day will be known as the day the boats honk their horns all day long. My first year in Iceland I had no idea what was going on when I woke up to the sound of the boat horns. Once I learned that it didn’t mean danger was coming I took the time to learn about what was happening.
So the horn honking day, it is called Sjómannadagur, “Seafarer’s Day”, and is celebrated the first Sunday in June every year. This day is to celebrate and honor the contribution fisherman have made to the culture and economy of Iceland as well as to remember those fisherman that have been lost at sea. Mainly celebrated in the smaller fishing villages, the day celebrations typically include family activities, musical performances and food and drink, all with a “sea theme”. I think this year H and I should venture to one of the smaller fishing towns to experience their Sjómannadagur celebration.
Icelandic Republic Day
Þjóðhátíðardagurinn, “Icelandic National Day”, is an annual holiday in Iceland celebrated on June 17th. This day marks the founding of the republic of Iceland in 1944 when Iceland gained independence from Denmark. The first Republican celebration was held in Þingvellir on 17 June 1944. The 17th was chosen as the day of celebration as it is the birthday of Jón Sigurðsson, a leader of Iceland’s independence movement. Celebrations include parades all over the country and a full day of events and entertainment.
I will admit, I was a bit disappointed in the national day celebrations. Other holidays are much bigger here so I expected more for the national holiday celebration. Last year the Viking and I took our celebration into the glacier, which is how I think we should celebrate every year from now one!
Verslunnarmannahelgi
Verslunnarmannahelgi “Trademans Weekend”, is the first weekend of August and is the Icelandic equivalent of Labor Day Weekend. This long weekend is filled with festivals all over the country and is the busiest weekend for domestic travel in Iceland with everyone leaving the cities for a weekend camping adventure. One of the oldest and most popular festival over this weekend is Þjóðhátíð in the Westman Islands. This festival is still on my bucket list, maybe this summer will be the year I get to go. Any reason to go back to the Westman Islands and I am there!
Icelandic Language Day
It’s no secret that Icelandic kicks my butt most days, but even though I struggle with the difficult language I think it is pretty awesome that there is an entire day dedicated to it! Celebrated on November 16th, the birthday of Icelandic poet Jónas Hallgrímsson, Icelandic Language Day is all about celebrating the Icelandic language and Icelandic culture. Events on this day range from poetry competitions to talks on Icelandic vocabulary. Want to learn a few words before your trip? Check out this guide to Icelandic and impress your travel companions when you order a beer in Icelandic!
Þorláksmeesa
My first Christmas in Iceland, decorating the Christmas tree on Þorláksmeesa
Celebrated on December 23, Þorláksmeesa is a day many consider to be the start of the Christmas celebration. On this day many eat putrefied skate to symbolize the end of the Christmas fast. The Christmas tree is decorated in the evening and many head downtown in the evening for some last minute shopping. Thankfully the Viking’s family doesn’t join in with this putrefied skate fun, but I do love walking downtown and seeing all the people!
Christmas
And ending this list with another not specifically unique holiday, but the Icelandic Christmas is full of unique traditions so I am putting it on here.
My first Christmas in Iceland I was really worried that I would be so homesick, it was my first Christmas away from home and it felt so strange to not be with my family. But, much to my surprise, I had hardly any issues with homesickness, I was too busy taking in all the fun traditions of the Icelandic Christmas!
Christmas is celebrated starting at 6pm on the 24th of December with a nice Christmas dinner with presents opened after the meal. I have learned that this 6pm time is a must. The 25th is a day spent relaxing and enjoying more delicious food with your family. I am a big fan of the more relaxed Christmas, the Viking and I took full advantage of the relaxed holiday this past year!
So which holiday would you want to come over for?! I must say, if you are looking to travel at Christmas Reykjavik truly is a winter wonderland, I adore this city at Christmas time! But those summer holidays, they are fun too. Like I said, you just have to come back for all of them!
Question of the Day?
Have you experienced a holiday in a different country?
