Christmas in Iceland
Christmas in Iceland is in many ways similar to Christmas in the United
States. Families get together, enjoy good food and exchange presents. It is
Iceland’s longest holiday; everything is closed from noon on Christmas Eve
until December 27.
One major difference between Christmas in Iceland and in the U.S. is
that Icelanders celebrate on Christmas Eve. The family gets together in the
evening and that is when presents are exchanged. During the following two days
everyone goes to Christmas parties and meets with grandparents, uncles, aunts,
cousins and friends.
Christmas Eve is the high point of the holiday
season in Iceland, and the sumptuous dinner is just the beginning of the night.
But what the children have been waiting for so long - the opening of packages -
cannot take place until a few details have been attended to: the table has to
be cleared and the dishes washed, but there are many willing hands for that.
In centuries past, most people would slaughter a lamb and have
‘kjötsúpa’ for Christmas dinner, a meat broth with bits of meat in it. Kjötsúpa
is still common in Iceland, although not as Christmas dinner. Poorer families
would have ptarmigan for Christmas.
Nowadays, the most common Christmas dishes in Iceland are ham
(hamborgarahryggur), smoked lamb (hangikjöt) and ptarmigan (rjúpa). Ptarmigan
is no longer a food for the poor and has become very popular with Icelanders,
and the ptarmigan hunting season is one of the most anticipated events of the
year for hunters. These dished are lavishly prepared with side dishes including
potatoes, prepared in many different ways, peas and beans, gravy, jam etc. The
cook usually spends most of the day cooking, with help, of course, from other
family members.
Icelanders have not one, but thirteen
Santas, or Yule Lads. These lads are not related to Santa Claus in any way.
They are descendants of trolls and were originally used to scare children. In
the last century, however, they have become a lot friendlier.
Gleðileg jól
Storytelling
Then and Now
The Sagas of the Icelanders are exceptional tales of
every life and historic events that were kept alive using the oral tradition
for two to three hundred years before they were recorded in written format. The
stories found in the Sagas are not typical heroic literature, but rather tales
of flesh and blood people burdened with the heroic legacy of the Vikings. Storytellings
in the Icelandic Sagas are tales of people deeply rooted in the real world of
their day. These stories explore the human problems of love and hate, fate and
freedom, crime and punishment, travel and exile. The Sagas of the Icelanders
lets us know of the concerns and affairs of the people who lived between 930
and 1030.
I find it fascinating that Todd Hansen great-grandson
of Eyjolfur Eiriksson and Jarthrudur
Runolfsdottir,
immigrants
to Utah from Iceland in the 1880s, keeps the storytelling tradition going. Todd
hosts BYUTV's "The Story Trek." This show
sets out to prove how fascinating so-called ordinary people actually
are. Through the random, door-to-door interviews Todd conducts, you meet
quirky, serious, intelligent, fun people who make you laugh, smile, cry, and think.
Todd was the Master of Ceremony for the Icelandic
Association of Utah’s Sesquicentennial Gala, June 24, 2005.
Emigrant
of the Month Dec. 2012
HALLDÓR
JÓNSSON
Halldor
was born 1 March 1856 at Skurdbaer, Medallandsthing, Vestur Skaftafell. His
parents are Jon Jonson, born 24 February 1829 at Audnar, Medallandsthing,
Vestur Skaftafell, died 26 April 1858 at sea; and Margret Jonsdottir, born 2
March 1829 at Sydri-Steinsmyri, Medllandsthing, Vestur Skaftafell, died 1
August 1911 at Hafnarfirdi, Gardar a Alptanesi, Gullbringu.
He married Gudrun Jonsdottir in January of 1879. Gudrun was born 4 June 1850 at
Grof, Gufunes, Kjosar. In 1880 they joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and were baptized by Elder Jon Eyvindsson, 13 November 1880. Halldor and
Gudrun, along with their son Johann, left Iceland in 1881 with a company of
twenty-two, under the leadership of Elder Jon Eyvindsson and Elder Jacob
Jonsson. The company left Reykjavik on the steamer Cameoens, and came by way of
Granton, Scotland, Liverpool, England and then to New York, crossing the ocean
on the steamship Nevada. They arrived in New York 23 July 1881 and left the
same evening for Salt Lake City, arriving in Salt Lake City 7 August 1881. They
left Salt Lake City the next day for Spanish Fork, Utah.
Halldor bought a farm in Spanish Fork, but within only a few years he moved to
Cleveland, Utah in Emery County. Halldor and Gudrun had seven children: Johann,
born in Iceland 2 October 1879, died 17 May 1954 in Washington State; Margret
Catherine, born in Spanish Fork 12 August 1882, died 28 February 1957; Barney
Andrew, bornin Spanish Fork 12 August 1882, died 4 November 1961. The other
four children were born in Cleveland, Utah: Halldor Jacob, born 26 January
1883, died 4 September 1884; Domhildur Sarah, born 20 October 1886, died 31 May
1888; Groa, born 27 December 1890, died 16 September 1924; and Albert, born 18
November1893, died 27 March 1945. Halldor and Gudrun were later divorced.
Halldor returned to Iceland and served two missions, one from 1899 to 1901 and
the other in 1910. When he returned from his second mission he brought home
with him Jonina Fridsemd Asgrimsdottir, and her son, Engilbert Jonson, and
Jonina’s mother, Gudny Hrobjartsdottir. Halldor and Jonina married and had two
children. Jonina was born 25 February 1885 at Grimstadir, in Akraneskaupstadur,
died 13 February 1967 in Price, Utah.
Halldor was also married to Margret Magnusdottir, 25 March 1885; they later
divorced. Margret was born 20 November 1856 at Mosfellsveit, Kjosar, died 15
June 1924 in Cleveland, Utah. Halldor died 11 January 1936 in Cleveland, Utah
and is buried in the Cleveland Cemetery.
