Christmas in Iceland

Icelanders celebrate Christmas with a family feast, exchange gifts, and decorate Christmas trees, but even such universal customs have notable distinctions from other countries.

Winter is a dark, cold time in Iceland, but the sleepy, frozen nature makes Christmas markets and decorated homes appear even cozier, embracing the festive spirit.

And since Iceland is one of the most beautiful countries, locals prefer to spend their free time bonding with nature and exploring the breathtaking landscapes of their homeland.

Christmas Food in Iceland

Icelanders spend Christmas Eve afternoon cooking festive dinner for the entire family. Most families sit down for the feast at around 6 p.m., not waiting for the Midnight Mass to commence.

If kids are present, the feast usually starts with dancing around the Christmas tree and singing traditional Icelandic songs.

Smoked lamb dung or hangikjöt is the most traditional Icelandic Christmas food, usually eaten cold with hot bechamel sauce, green peas, and boiled potatoes. Some people prefer roasted lamb leg to hangikjöt.

Another traditional main dish in Iceland is ptarmigan, a variety of grouse that changes its color from brown in the summer to white in the winter. Icelanders serve it with boiled potatoes, red cabbage, and gravy.

Since the population of ptarmigan is experiencing a steep decline, the bird is protected and can only be hunted in limited quantities for the holiday season.

Icelanders can’t buy the bird in stores, so enjoying ptarmigan on Christmas Eve requires some effort.

Of course, Icelandic Christmas dinner is also plentiful in fish, featuring pickled herring, also popular in other Nordic countries like Denmark and Sweden, and fermented fish with a pungent smell.

After the main entrée, Icelanders eat rice pudding with whipped cream and chopped almonds, same as Swedes, Finns, Norwegians, and Danes. One of the bowls contains a whole almond, and whoever finds it is believed to be lucky the following year.

Many Icelanders admire licorice, so the traditional Icelandic Christmas dessert is lakkrís toppar – a meringue cake topped with chocolate chips and chocolate-covered licorice.

Icelandic licorice is distantly salty, with a strong anise flavor, unlike sweety licorice found in the U.S.

Sarah Bernhardt cookies, named after a famous 19th-century French actress, are made with an almond base and chocolate filling, covered in melted chocolate.

Of course, Icelandic Christmas dinner wouldn’t be complete without a layered cake with gingerbread and vanilla cream.

As for the drinks, mulled wine is widespread, but most Icelanders prefer locally-crafted Christmas beer with a twist – some beers have pine, caramel, licorice, gingerbread, coffee, and other unusual flavors.

Malt og Appelsin is another popular beverage, made with Malt, a malty sweet drink, and Appelsin, an orange-flavored soda. Although Malt contains 1% of alcohol, the drink is beloved by adults and children country-wide.

Christmas Decorations in Iceland

Icelanders decorate their homes for Christmas, but differently from the rest of the world. As you may know, there aren’t many pines and firs in Iceland, so back in the day, Icelanders used to make Christmas trees from a pole with sticks painted green.

Nowadays, Icelanders grow evergreens in nature reserves, so locals can set up a real Christmas tree, but many choose to honor the old custom regardless.

Icelandic Christmas trees are often adorned with candles, candied fruit, handmade wooden ornaments, and garlands made from berries and popcorn.

Christmas Markets

Throughout the Advent season, Icelanders love to shop at Christmas markets. The largest Christmas markets in Iceland take place in Reykjavik.

But unlike most Christmas markets globally, Icelandic fairs are usually held indoors because no one wants to spend their time under strong gales and hail.

Icelandic Christmas markets may not be large, but they are cozy and amusing, offering an array of activities for the entire family and locally-produced goods and festive foods sold in lit-up wooden chalets.

Snow Fun

You’re almost guaranteed a white Christmas in Iceland, and if you’re extra lucky, you can even witness the Northern lights. Many locals and tourists spend their Christmas holidays hunting for this nature’s miracle with a camera.

There’s no Christmas experience more fascinating than drinking mulled wine wrapped in a warm blanket and watching the celestial ballet of the night sky.

The best way to see the Northern lights is when the sky is dark and clear, so people typically go on organized tours outside of the cities. Many locals go glacier hiking, drawing inspiration from Iceland’s raw nature.

Reynisfjara black beach, surrounded by cliffs and basalt stones, is one of Iceland’s most picturesque spots and most popular Christmas trip destinations. Petting miniature Icelandic horses in one of the numerous nature parks is a perfect activity for animal lovers.

Of course, winter sports like skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating are also popular. However, most Icelandic skiing areas aren’t tourist attractions.

Geothermal Baths

One of the reasons tourists favor Iceland is the geothermal baths scattered across the country. Locals also love to power their spirits in hot springs and pools around Christmas time.

The tradition of taking a thermal bath before Christmas dates centuries and is deeply rooted in local culture. Icelanders of all ages visit thermal pools to wind up after a challenging day at work or catch up with friends.

Gift Exchange

Have you heard the saying, “book is the best gift?”. Icelanders agree – one unique Icelandic Christmas custom is giving books. The custom is a long-standing one, and many books go on sale before the Christmas season.

Some locals gift their family and friends clothes, event tickets, and gadgets. Most people exchange gifts on December 24, after dinner.

Christmas Activities

Throughout the Advent season, many Icelandic towns host holiday concerts, performing live music, Christmas carols, and nativity plays. For example, the Harpa Concert Hall organizes an annual Advent Italian Baroque Christmas concert and events for kids on Saturdays.

Local churches also host holiday concerts, performing Nativity plays or traditional music. All shopping malls, restaurants, and coffee shops play holiday tunes.

Some of the most famous Icelandic Christmas songs are Egill Ólafsson – Hátíð í bæ (Festival in the city), Sniglabandið – Jólahjól (Christmas bicycle), and Sigga Beinteins – Nei, Nei, ekki um jólin (No, no, not at the Christmas).

However, famous American Christmas songs like White Christmas and Jingle Bells have also earned a place in the hearts of Icelanders.

And, like Americans, Icelanders prefer to spend Christmas Day watching all-time holiday staple movies, including Home Alone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Love Actually or Elf, because Iceland isn’t known for its film production.

St. Thorlakur’s Day and Hákarl

On December 23d, Icelanders commemorate the local Saint Þorlákur Þórhallsson. Saint Thorlak lived in the 12th century and was declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in the 1980s for his good deeds. Nowadays, he’s the patron saint of Iceland and fishermen.

Icelanders don’t eat anything heavy on St. Thorlakur’s Day, so they primarily eat fish, including infamous for its pungent odor Hákarl, fermented shark.

Foreigners are usually appalled by the dish, while locals either love it or hate it – there’s no in-between. Hákarl tastes the best when diced into small pieces, without the outer crust, and served with cheese and aquavit.

The practice of eating Hákarl stems from the 1600s when someone found a shark washed on the seashore and, instead of letting it rot, trussed it up in ropes and left it to dry.

However, the history of the tradition is somewhat nebulous, and that’s just a local legend. Icelanders advanced the preparation method of Hákarl throughout the centuries because fresh shark meat is fibrous and smelly, and making it taste nice requires quite a skill.

On December 23d, many Icelanders also decorate the Christmas tree, although some do it on one of the Advent Sundays or on Christmas Eve.

13 Santas

Icelandic Santa Claus is a bit different from American Santa because it isn’t one man but 13, known as Yule Lads. Yule Lads didn’t originate from Saint Nicholas but from Icelandic mythology. They are merely trolls than saints who love to prank locals.

Each Icelandic Santa has a peculiar craving reflected in their names. Can you guess what the Spoon Licker, Sausage Stealer, and Door Slammer do? Although Yule Lads can be naughty, they are nice to well-behaved kids.

Still, Icelanders prepare for the Yule Lad visit by hiding spoons, closing doors, and never leaving leftover sausages.

Throughout the 13 nights leading to Christmas, one of the Yule Lads gets out from its cave and heads to the town, bringing small gifts to children, leaving them in shoes placed on the windowsill.

Kids who receive a rotten potato should behave better to please the next Yule Lad. Icelandic Santas have a mother, Gryla, who takes naughty children to her cave and boils them alive.

Gryla has a black cat that hunts poor people who didn’t buy a new attire for Christmas, so being poor in Iceland is life-threatening.

The city of Reykjavik actively promotes local folk characters, giving children a chance to meet the 13 Santas, Gryla, and her cat, although most kids would likely prefer not to.

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