Christmas in Iceland

Christmas markets across Europe, known for their allure with snowy landscapes, wooden cabins, and mulled wine, have attracted crowds for years. However, it may surprise many that Iceland lacks a widespread market culture due to its small population. Reykjavík’s only year-round market, the fleamarket Kolaportið, stands as an exception. Nonetheless, the tide is turning, and […]

The supermarkets in Reykjavík and around Iceland are open longer than usual leading up to Christmas and have different opening hours during the upcoming holiday season. We already covered the holiday opening hours of museums and restaurants but below we highlight the service times of the grocery stores. Be prepared ahead of time for Christmas […]

One of the best things about the Christmas season is the food. Families in Iceland typically go all out, spending hours in the kitchen with the traditional leg of lamb or baking cookies and laufabrauð. However, if you are visiting Iceland for the holidays, you may not have the time, energy, money or facilities to […]

December 23 is the last day before Christmas in Iceland and the stress of getting everything done in time – the presents, the cards, the food, and the decorations – is beginning to get to people. It’s not all bad though, because mixed in with the stress and anxiety is a Christmassy sense of joy […]

Music is one of the best parts of the Christmas season, and Iceland goes all in this time of year. With the Advent season already upon us, Christmas concerts are in full force. Here are some holiday (and some not-so-holiday) music events to watch out for. Christmas at the Symphony  Dec. 17-18 at 2 or […]

Christmas markets are known from the Late Middle Ages in the German-speaking part of Europe according to Wikipedia and traditionally take place during the four weeks of Advent. They are often held in the town square and offer food, drink and seasonal items in open-air stalls, sometimes with traditional singing and dancing. In Iceland, Christmas […]

There are several food items that could be described as indispensable for Christmas in Iceland. Food is a significant part of Christmas celebrations all over the world and Iceland is no exception. Every country has its own tradition and while trends and fashions can influence what families eat each year, there are some foodstuffs that […]

Each December, Reykjavík is transformed into a magical Christmas city. There are fun Christmas events and Christmas tours involving everything from culture to food, horseback riding to sailing, and singing to shopping all over the city, but some places are even more festive than others. Check out all the festive areas in the city and partake in our holiday joy.

In Iceland, Christmas lasts for 13 days. But even here, Christmas has to end sometime. The last day of Christmas is known as Þrettándinn. Þrettándinn literally translates as “The Thirteenth” but is more commonly known as Twelfth Night in the English-speaking world. Since Christmas starts on December 24 in Iceland, it’s called Thirteenth Night instead […]

Christmas in Iceland wouldn’t be the same without two enormous, terrible trolls, Grýla and Leppalúði. Grýla is the mother of Iceland’s 13 Yule Lads, and Leppalúði is her third husband. They live in their cave in the Dimmuborgir lava fields in North Iceland. Leppalúði is lazy and doesn’t like leaving their cave. When it comes to Grýla, on the other hand, it is a different story…