The Icelandic Christmas Preparation
For Icelanders Christmas is a big deal and they do take their Christmas and new year’s celebrations seriously. Christmas preparations start in late November for most people, families prepare a Christmas wreath with four candles on it and light one candle the first advent Sunday, then always adding a candlelight on each Sunday leading up to Christmas eve on 24th of December where all four candles are lit.
Icelandic people traditionally give many gifts which normally translated to minor depression when the credit card bill arrives in the beginning of February.
The most popular gifts are books but most Icelandic books are published just before the Christmas season. Icelanders are also big bakers around the Christmas holidays and most homes will have a few different sorts of cookies baked and the traditional leaf bread called Laufabrauð.
Key dates in the Iceland Christmas calendar
21st December – Winter Solstice
On this day there is winter solstice in Iceland meaning that it is the shortest day of the year, usually only bring around 4 hours of daylight. There is an old Icelandic saying that says “with a rising sun” meaning that you will do it in the new year, probably closer to spring.
23rd December – Þorláksmessa
This day is called Þorláksmessa (Mass of Saint Thorlac). Today many Icelanders eat fermented skate. Many travellers come across a strong ammonia infused smell on this day, but I can assure you the taste of the fermented skate is much better than the smell. Each year there is a debate whether people living in apartment blocks should be allowed to cook the fermented skate, which is loved by some and hated by others.
But one has to wonder why Icelanders have developed this Christmas tradition? This is actually a Catholic tradition to fast before Christmas and it was not deemed to be ethical to eat something fancy on the death day of Saint Thorlac. Therefore, it was customary to eat old fish on this day and around this time a year a lot of skate was being fished in the West Fjords of Iceland. The fermented the skate so it would store for longer and from that the tradition of eating fermented skate on this day spread to the rest of the country.
It can be tricky to get young people to try the skate because of the strong smell so many Icelanders are worried that this tradition will by killed by future generations. Note that the smell is so bad that people eating skate normally wear their old clothes and they put them straight in the washing machine and shower afterwards, some even go as far and throw their clothes away afterwards.
24th December – Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, tranquility takes over the cities and villages. It is a night in which there are no services of any kind available in the afternoon and in which only a few have to work. In the evening many families go to mass and families gather for the Christmas dinner, which is often smoked pork or lamb. After dinner it is time to open the gifts and put on the pajamas to read a book an eat some confectionery.
25th December – Christmas Day
On this day there is normally a family gathering where parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and nieces get together and enjoy a smoked leg of lamb (Hangikjöt) with leaf bread (Laufabrauð), white sauce and potatoes. This is all washed down with plenty of Jólaöl which is Malt soda and an Icelandic orange soda mixed together, it literally doesn´t get any sweeter than that.
26th December – Boxing Day
Today is pretty much copy paste of yesterday, some might be lucky and don´t have to eat salty meat for the third day in a row and can kick back in the coach and watch the Premier League, others less fortunate have a dinner invitation with the in-laws.
6th January – Called the 13th and the last day of Christmas
Today is referred to as the thirteenth as it is the 13th day from Christmas Eve and the day that the last Santa leaves civilization for his cave in the mountains. This is celebrated with bonfires and fireworks, Elfs and Fairy people often come alive during this night and take part in the celebrations.
The Icelandic Santas – (AKA The Yule Lads)
In Iceland, the tradition extends Christmas for 26 days, from December 11th to January 6th. In this period, the streets and houses are decorated with lights and ornaments of all kinds. Walking through the streets of Reykjavik makes you feel the spirit that surrounds the whole country.
In addition, if there is something that characterizes Icelandic Christmas is the amount of fantastic stories that are part of the Icelandic culture:
One of them is the 13 Christmas “santas” (although they are not related to Santa Claus) that, traditionally, were used to scare the children but, after many years, they have become friendly creatures that bring gifts to children.
These are very naughty beings who come down from the mountains one by one before Christmas: the first of them arrives on December 11th and the last on the 24th. Thus, children put their shoes on the window so that each of the “santas” can leave them a gift every time they visit the town / city. They will only receive gifts if they have behaved well, otherwise the “santas” will leave a rotten potato into their shoes. After the 24th night, the “santas” return to the mountain, one by one, until January 6th (January 6th is known as the “last day of Christmas”).
Nobody should be surprised about the wicked ways of the Yule lads when we take a look at their parents Grýla and Leppalúði who are trolls, they are not the nicest beings in the world as stories go that they used to eat naughty children back in the day. Their cat is no angel either as the story says that all family members should receive a new garment for Christmas and if someone doesn’t, they will be devoured by this giant cat.
In recent years, in Reykjavík, you can see moving projections of these “santas” on the facades of many buildings in the city center. An initiative that has surprised more than one tourist.
The rundown of The Yule Lads
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- Stekkjastaur (Stiffy legs) – He tries to suckle yews in farmer’s sheep sheds
- Giljagaur (Gully Gawk) – He steals foam from buckets of milk
- Stúfur (Shorty) – He is the shortest and steals food from the frying pan
- Þvörusleikir (Spoon Licker) – He loves to lick spoons
- Pottaskefill (Pot Licker) – He steals unwashed pots and licks them clean
- Askasleikir (Bowl Licker) – He loves to lick food bowls
- Hurðaskellir (Door Slammer) – He just can´t stop slamming doors
- Skyrgámur Skyr Gobbler – He loves eating the Skyr (Kind of Icelandic Yogurt)
- Bjúgnakrækir Sausage Swiper – He is quick to steal unattended sausages
- Gluggagægir (Window Peeper) – He has kept a low profile after #meetoo came out
- Gáttaþefur (Door Sniffer) – He has a huge nose, and loves to sniff
- Ketkrókur (Meat Hook) – He uses his hook to steal meat
- Kertasníkir (Candle Beggar) – He steals candles, but is the most generous one
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