Christmas in Iceland

I guess the reason I have been reflecting on Christmas so much is that this year we were going to be spending Christmas abroad, in Iceland, where Christmas traditions are a bit different from here in the United States. As a family we have spent the past few years traveling at Christmastime. As our kids have gotten older and we, as a family, have been thinking more and more about the impact of our society as one that is so consumer-oriented, we have been giving ourselves the gift of travel rather than store-bought gifts for Christmas. Dean and I are warm weather people and would rather be in the sun and on a beach than in the cold. So we have traveled to Florida, California, and Grand Cayman during Christmas holidays. However, our son, with his red hair and fair complexion, is more comfortable in cooler, darker climes. After we planned our Thanksgiving trip to Grand Cayman, Dylan asked if we would consider a less sunny place for Christmas. Dean had heard about how Icelandair has some great deals on travel to Iceland, and the plan was hatched. It was going to be a different sort of trip for us. I am a sun seeker and going to a place where the sun was going to rise around 11 AM and set around 4 PM was a little daunting for me.

   Now, while my friends in Virginia were posting on media about the 72 degree unseasonably warm temperatures, we were greeted at the Keflavik airport to what the airline pilot called "a light snow" or what we would call "a blizzard". And yes, there was not jetway and we had to cross the tarmac in the snow at 6:30 in the morning. The temps the first few days we were there ranged from -3 C to -13 C and that was not counting the wind chill. My flip flops were not going to cut it in Reykjavik. Luckily, we bought good snowy weather hikers, packed our snow pants, hats, and gloves and were clothing-wise ready (although I am not sure I was mentally-ready) for the cold.

Walking off the plane in Keflavik and into some "light snow".

Reykjavik is the northernmost capital in the world. As a family, we have been to Key West (the southernmost point in the US) and Barrow, AK (the northernmost point) where Gabby and I did a Polar Bear Plunge into the Arctic Ocean.

(Yes, that is an iceberg behind us in Barrow, AK.
 Gabby: "Mom, what is your plan for this?"
Me: We will hold hand and run into the water and when I say "Dive" just dive."
 Gabby: "That does not sound like much of a plan."
And yet, she followed my plan.)

The greater Reykjavik population is about 200,000 and the country has a population of only 320,000. Iceland, a Nordic island nation, is defined by its dramatic volcanic landscape of geysers, hot springs, waterfalls, glaciers and black-sand beaches. The majority of the population speaks English and after an economic scare in 2008, has rebuilt itself as a tourist destination, and if you visit, you will not be disappointed.

Reykjavik looking across the frozen city pond

Unlike the US or many European countries, the most important day of Christmas is on the 24th. Starting at 6 PM, Christmas officially begins with the ringing of church bells to celebrate the Jol. After the Christmas service, Icelanders have a dinner that is shared with only the nearest and dearest family and then they open presents under the tree.

City Center of old town Reykjavik

When we planned our trip and were quite excited to see an inexpensive flight that arrive on the morning of the 24th (Thursday), we booked it. We found an Icelandair hotel (the Marina) right on the harbor and within walking distance to the Reykjavik city center.

View of the harbor from our room at the Marina. The boats were in the harbor for the holiday and even they were decked out with lights.

However, as we researched, we realized that there might be some hiccups with our travel plans because we were going to be arriving during the holidays. Luckily, with some research and planning, we were able to make things work out (the website http://www.iheartreykjavik.net/ has wonderful tips for travel to Iceland). While many restaurants were closed from the 24th-26th, we found one of the that was open on Christmas Eve (Icelandic Fish and Chips)  and was within walking distance from our hotel. We also had read that most grocery stores would close in the early afternoon on the 24th and not open until Saturday and the liquor stores (called Vin Buden) would close around 1 PM and not reopen until Monday. Looking on-line, again we were pleased to note that there was a 10-11 (grocery store) and a Vin Buden within walking distance from our hotel. We also planned a tour of the southern coast for the 25th, so I am not sure how difficult it would have been to find an open restaurant on the 25th. (From what another couple told us later, the only place they could find was the "American Bar", but this may have been a choice not just a necessity.)

Some of the restaurant's on the
official list to have been open on Christmas, such as the "Burger Joint" turned out to be closed on the 25th. If you travel to Iceland during Christmas, make sure you have some back up plans. 

A window display that used marshmallows as snow.

Amazing lights

We arrived at our hotel near the Reykjavik harbor and set out to run our errands before stores closed. I expected the city of Reykjavik to be in darkness most of the time since the sun was not going to rise so late and set so quickly.






Living in the country, it can get dark at night. I was not sure how we would navigate or how I would cope in a dark environment. However, what I did not realize at the time was that because of the cheap electricity due to the geothermal and hydroelectric energy Iceland produces, at Christmastime, the entire country embraces Christmas lights and is illuminated in an amazing fashion. Also, many of the sidewalks are geothermally heated, so the snow melts quickly. (However, I should note that there are many sidewalks that are not heated and if you are traveling in the winter, consider bringing YakTracks or some kind of cleats for walking around the city) Seriously, anywhere you looked, there were strings of lights, stars, and trees lit up. The old city center even had an ice skating rink, which... Okay, it was nice to be able to go ice skating with Christmas carols, some in English and some in Icelandic, playing.

Ice skating in the city center.

I was much happier that we skated on ice rather than taking part in the Fermented Skate Day on the 23rd. This is a new, and some call is bizarre tradition, where people get together and eat a flat fish called skate which has been fermenting for a month or more. People say that the smell of it will clear your sinuses out for a week or so. Some Icelanders look at it as kind of a macho thing to do, usually requiring a shot or two of schnapps or Brennivin in order to actually be able to swallow the stuff.

Another Christmas tradition is the Laufabrauo or "leaf breads". These are round, wafer-thin wheat breads, cut with intricate patterns. Families and friends will get together to make them and if ones turn out to be too pretty to eat, they will be tied up with red ribbon and put onto the tree. Others will be eaten with Christmas or New Years dinners and served with butter.



These are actually made of paper, but this is what the leaf breads are supposed to look like.

It sounds like many of the same concerns we have in the States plague Iceland as well. The fears of Global Warming are prevalent. While we were lucky to arrive in time for White Christmas, Icelanders have noticed that White Christmases are fewer and farther between than in the past. Also, one of our guides, Loki, lamented that when he was growing up, every house and apartment was decorated with lights and now people are too busy to decorate (we saw plenty and I thought it was quite amazing, but I did not grow up there). Also, the commercialism is hitting Iceland. In the past, Christmas sales and decorations were not put out until December 1st (or the first day of Advent), now it seems that Christmas sales start around October 20th. And we heard that Christmas songs were being played earlier and earlier. So, sometimes, when you travel, you find that we all have more in common than we think.

The main custom that sets Iceland apart from other European countries and the United States, is that the children of Iceland do not wait for Santa Claus to appear...Oh, no... they wait for the Yule Lads! While there is only one Santa Claus, there are 13 Yule Lads who live in a cave in the mountains, with their mother Gryla and the child eating Yule Cat...but that, my friends, is a story for another post.