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Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of Þorrablót, an Icelandic mid-winter feast. In the past there was no fresh food available at this time of year so people ate dried fish, smoked lamb, putrefied shark and soured blood and liver pudding along with other soured meat products—ram testicles included.
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Fjallabyggd (“Mountain Settlement”) is a skier’s dream. Its slopes are perfect for slaloming and there are also tracks for telemark skiing. Winter sporting enthusiasts can also go ice skating or rent snowmobiles. In summer, Fjallabyggd turns into a paradise for hikers. Read this special promotion about one of Iceland’s best hidden gems.
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Today is the last day before Christmas, known as Thorláksmessa (“The Mass of St. Thorlákur,” Iceland’s patron saint). The day is celebrated by eating putrefied skate and buying the last Christmas presents.
The seafood restaurant Saegreifinn down at Reykjavík harbor. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
Thorláksmessa is celebrated in the memory of Thorlákur “the Holy” Thórhallsson, who was Bishop at Skálholt in Iceland in the 12th century. He died December 23, 1193, which became a holiday in 1199. In 1985 Pope John Paul II appointed Thorlákur “the Holy” as the patron saint of Iceland.
The Catholic Church is the third largest religious community in Iceland and nine Catholic churches offer services in various parts of the country.
The tradition of eating putrefied skate originates in the West Fjords, but is now common in all parts of the country. The fish delicacy is usually served boiled with potatoes, turnips and hamsatólg, melted sheep fat.
People who want to avoid bringing the stench of skate to their homes—it smells strongly of ammonia—order the fish at restaurants instead. Serving skate on December 23 is becoming increasingly popular at restaurants in Iceland.
Icelanders are known to spend considerable amounts of money on December 23, which is traditionally the last day of shopping before Christmas. To make sure everybody finishes their shopping in time for Christmas, stores remain open until at least 11 pm.
People who have finished their shopping often go downtown on the evening of Thorláksmessa to meet up with friends, admire Christmas decorations or go to cafés to have a cup of hot chocolate and exchange Christmas greetings.
Click here to read more about the tradition of eating putrefied skate.
Handball, the village, some food and fun, Finnur Bjarnason, more music, dance in Montana and Huddersfield Town.
A new database dedicated to Icelandic filmmaking has been opened at Kvikmyndavefurinn.is. It features more than 1,200 titles and eight thousand individuals.
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A Parliamentarian asked the Reykjavík Chief of Police for access to data used in the police investigation of whether members of Alþingi instigated the protests and directed protesters who demonstrated outside the parliament building in January 2009.
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It appears that a serious offense has been committed near Grundarfjörður, West Iceland. An exceptionally audacious criminal has had the gall to fish for halibut during the halibut fishing ban.
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The current issue of the quarterly magazine Iceland Review includes for example an interview with world-renowned fashion designer Steinunn Sigurðardóttir as well as features on the successful biotech company ORF Genetics and the hot debate regarding the EU. If you subscribe now, you will receive a photo book by IR editor, photographer Páll Stefánsson of the eruptions in Eyjafjallajökull as a gift. Click here to subscribe to the magazine and here to buy a gift subscription.
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REVIEWS
It’s Björk. Say no more.
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… a member of the European Union. That is the biggest question asked in the Republic right now. We asked parliamentarian Ásmundur Einar Daðason and mathematician Pawel Bartoszek ten questions to capture their arguments for and against Iceland becoming member number 28 of the European Union.
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The international recognition that the architecture firm Snøhetta has received is quite unique in a Norwegian context.
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