Before the 10th Century, when Christianity spread throughout Iceland, the vast majority of Icelanders worshipped the Norse Gods. During the calendar month of Thorri (which in today's terms runs from mid-January to mid-February), locals would celebrate a mid-winter festival calledÞorrablót (transliterated as Thorrablot) in which Icelanders would ask the Norse God Thor for good weather.
This historical festival was officially banned during theChristianizationof Iceland, and it returned1874 when Icelanders gained religious freedom. Today, it is celebrated as a winter feast, with traditional culinary delicacies, such as foiled lamb's head, fermented Greenland shark, and whale blubber! To wash it all down, locals take shots ofBrennivín – also known as Black Death – Iceland’s signature spirit.
As you can imagine, winters in Iceland are cold--and dark. In fact, some mountainous communities in Iceland barely see the sun at all for nearly two months in the dead of winter. So, it really comes as no surprise that Icelanders want to commemorate the day when the sun finally peeks out from behind the mountains. Many residents in these towns celebrate (either collectively or individually) with a cup of "sun coffee" and a large order of pancakes or other pastries.
Iceland experienced 74 years of "beer prohibition," from the year 1915 until 1989. Today, to commemorate the end of the beer ban, Iceland celebrates Beer Day on March 1st. This special day is celebrated with --yep, you guessed it--drinking lots of beer in Iceland's restaurants, bars, and clubs. The capital city of Reykjavik is renowned for its Beer Day celebrations!
The beginning of Christian Lent brings with it a very special celebration known as Bolludagur, or Bun Day. It is the first of a three-day holiday filled with over-indulgences in rich food. Bolludagur, which originated in either Denmark or Norway, has been celebrate din Iceland since the 19th century. Traditionally, children get to "spank" their parents out of bed, yelling "Bolla!" (Bun!), and, for each swat, they get to eat a rich, cream-filled bun!
Though not all families celebrate the day in quite the same way, it is still celebrated with lots of creamy bun goodness! Now this is a tradition that we can really get on board with!
Not many people celebrate Ash Wednesday like the Icelanders do! Though not all residents practice Christianity, Ash Wednesday is a favorite holiday--especially by children! This day is a "Halloween" of sorts, in which children dress up in costume and sing for candy and sweets! Of course, it's also a tradition t o sneakily prank people by hanging bags of ash on them!
With such long winters, summertime is a time of celebration. The first day of summer typically takes place in late April, and it is celebrated with a Children's Parade in many communities, and of course, great food! Though it's not always celebrated today, the festivalhas a great historical significance, as it signified the changing of the seasons in traditional Icelandic calendar.
