Fun and festivities in Iceland - celebrations, festivals and cultural events

Tourists visiting Iceland at any time of the year will definitely witness one of the many Icelandic holidays or festivals. The descendants of the brave Vikings cherish their own history, while many of the locals still believe in the existence of various mysterious creatures. Icelandic holidays and festivals held in the country are directly connected with sagas and legends of the ancestors of the Vikings. Therefore, they all have a touch of magic and mystery.

Icelandic calendar year opens with the celebration of Trettaundinn. It takes place on January 6. The name translates from Icelandic as "13th day after Christmas". According to legends, the last Santa Claus in Iceland (in total, there were 13 of them) went to the mountains on this very day. This event is widely celebrated in Iceland with general joy; people burn giant bonfires and launch fireworks. After Trettaundinn, the Winter Festival starts, during which tourists and guests of the island are invited to try boiled sheep heads and fermented shark meat. Then comes the time of Food and Fun Culinary Festival in Reykjavik. Chefs from all over the world come to take part in it, and the victory is considered very prestigious.

The first spring month is marked by a large-scale celebration of Beer Day. It is dedicated to lifting the ban on the production and use of strong varieties of this foamy drink. At this time, the International Beer Festival is held in the country, during which exhibitions of snow figures and snowmobile races are held throughout the island. In March, the island hosts the international fashion festival Designmarch. The cream of society come to watch fashion shows by popular fashion designers, which are an integral part of the event. Every year, on the third April Thursday, there is the First Day of Summer - Sumardagurinn. It is at this time that the polar night ends. Icelanders arrange mass celebrations, dances, and a carnival. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Sjómannadagurin festival is held in the first week of June. It is also called the Festival of the Sea or Fisherman's Day. Icelanders are very respectful to people whose professional activities are connected with the sea since it gives the inhabitants of the island its generous gifts. During the festival, on the island, there are all sorts of sports competitions and historical reconstructions. The most important and favorite holiday for Icelanders is Independence Day celebrated on June 17th. The festivities include all kinds of concerts, theater performances, dance battles.

Military parades march through the city streets, at every step you can see performances of musical bands and dance groups. Reykjavik Marathon became the most important sporting event held in the summer season. Every year it is participated by thousands of athletes not only from Iceland but also from abroad. Participants of the marathon run over a certain distance through the streets of the capital. In August, there are Verslunarmannahelgi and the Cultural Night. During this time, all art galleries, exhibition halls, and museums work all night long. At the end of the holiday, fireworks are launched into the sky. In the same month, it's time for Pyodhatio Vestmannayar Festival interesting for fiery fun. According to the old legend, a person can get rid of all diseases through this kind of entertainment. Autumn is the time for music festivals. In October, as part of the Iceland Airwaves Festival in Reykjavik, musical bands give concerts in multiple clubs and bars. The main idea of the festival is holding it without celebrities to give way to young talents wishing to express themselves.

In winter, Icelandic Winter Games take place on the island. The venue is the resort of Akureyri where there is the world's northernmost slopestyle route. Icelandic year of festivals and holidays ends with Christmas. Various mysterious creatures like elves or gnomes coming into the human world have become its main highlight. Near the Icelandic capital, right on the slopes of the Mount Esja, pagans gather to organize noisy festivities and events.