Holidays and Customs
Christian Holidays
A vast majority of Iceland's national holidays are christian holidays. A lot of the holidays revolve around Easter. Some examples are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Monday.
Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. Easter Monday is the Monday after Easter, which is commemorating Jesus Christ's resurrection. They also have Whit Sunday(which is the Sunday seven weeks after Easter) and Ascension Day (which is six weeks after Maundy Thursday).
Non-Christian Holidays
Some holidays not related to easter are National Day, Beer Day, and The First Day of Summer. National Day is always on June 17. Iceland was Declared as a republic during 1944. June 17 was the chosen date because it was the birthdate of Jón Sigurðsson. Jón Sigurðsson is regarded as Iceland's leader in the campaign for independence. Beer Day began on March 1st, 1989. It is celbrated because a 75-year-long prohibition of beer was lifted. The First Day of Summer is a national holiday. A long time ago, the Icelanders divided the year into two seasons, Winter and Summer. When the long winter ends, they celebrate the first day of "summer." They have sporting events, parades, and other entertainment all over Iceland. Schools and stores are closed on The First Day of Summer.
Customs
Iceland has some customs that are things that people in the US don't do. Some differences are the names, greetings, visits, gifts, and tipping. The names in Iceland use a patrnymic system. The patronymic system is when the last name of some one is created by using his or her father's name and son. For example someone who is named Brian Johnson is the son of John. Everyone in Iceland greet each other by their first name. Even the telephone books list people by their first name. People usually greet with a kiss on the cheek. Their are only two people in Iceland who are greeted formally. They are the President of Iceland and the Bishop of Iceland. People in Iceland invite people into their house more than a restaurant. When someone enters a house, they usually take their shoes off. When invited to an Icelandic house for the first time, it is a common courtesy to bring a small gift. At birthday parties and weddings, gifts are usually gived. There is no tipping in Iceland (including taxi, hotel and restaurant services). Tipping is considered an insult in Iceland.
Important Person - Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the main figure of Christianity. Jesus was Jewish. The Christians consider him the son of God and the incarnation of God. Islam thinks that Jesus is a prophet. Judaism thinks that Jesus was not the Messiah. Jesus's teachings and deeds are recorded in the New Testament, which is essentially a theological document that makes discovery of the “historical Jesus” difficult. Jesus was a healer and a miracle worker. Before Jesus died, he held a supper for his disciples. There were thirteen people at this supper. The supper was a Passover Meal. During the supper, Jesus blessed the bread and wine saying that the bread is "his body" and the wine "his blood". That was The Last Supper. One of the people at the Last Supper betrayed Jesus. Jesus was captured. He was nailed to a cross. After his death, people say that he resurrected, or rose from the dead.
Important Place - Rekyjavik
Reykjavik is important because most of the celebrations of Beer Day happen there. Reykjavik is especially wild on Beer Day. Usually there is a rúntur, or bar crawl. A bar crawl is when people go to different bars during a single night. They usually walk to the bars. Bar crawls are big in Reykjavik because it lets civilians get to know all of the bars in this city.
Important Object - Easter Egg
Easter eggs are important because most Iceland's holidays revolve around Easter. The ancient persians used to paint eggs for the New Year. At the Jewish Passover Seder, a hard boiled egg is dipped in salt water. The Easter egg is a symbol of rebirth for early Christians. Easter eggs usually have a nice design with light colors painted on. The eggs are hidden on Easter and kids try to find them. The eggs are also rolled down hills during Easter.