Category: Culture and Living

From the bonfire last night at Ægissíða in the western part of Reykjavík.

Celebrating the last day of Christmas

7 Jan The sixth of January is the official end of Christmas in Iceland and is called the Thirteenth or Þrettándinn in Icelandic, which is more known as the Twelfth Night in the English speaking world. This day is celebrated with bonfires and more fireworks and yesterday was no different.

What a time for a selfie in the icy sea on New Years Day with your fellow swimmers.

The New Year's Eve swim sets the tone for the year

2 Jan A New Year’s Eve swim was held in Nauthólsvík yesterday, where more than a hundred people participated.

Iðnó is in downtown Reykjavík by the city's pond.

An art auction in Iðnó today for the benefit of refugee children

17 Dec Today, Saturday December 17th at 2-4pm an art auction will be held in Iðnó, where guests can support refugee children by investing in pieces of art and enjoying musical entertainment. Many different artworks will be available at the auction, including works by many of our best artists, but there will also be works by children that want to make a difference and help refugee children.

The people behind the fourfold winner Triangle of Sadness with their awards in Harpa last night.

Triangle of Sadness the biggest winner

11 Dec The movie Triangle of Sadness won four awards at the European Film Awards, which were awarded at Eldborg Harpa last night. The film was the biggest winner of the evening.The movie Triangle of Sadness won four awards at the European Film Awards, which were awarded at Eldborg Harpa last night. The film was the biggest winner of the evening.

Arnaldur Indriðason and Kristín Eiríksdóttir were the authors who got the most hits on Tinder, especially by users who were 65 and older.

Icelandic authors an instant hit on Tinder

2 Dec “I had no idea that Forlagið was advertising the Christmas books on a dating app. So I was completely shocked to hear that we had hit the jackpot in that arena,” says Egill Örn Jóhannsson, CEO of Forlagið.

Ragnar Jónasson accepted the prize for the best crime novel published in France in the last 50 years last week.

Voted the best crime novel in 50 years

28 Nov "This was an outstanding evening in Paris and I am very happy to have been able to be her in person to accept this award. I am very touched," said Ragnar Jónasson the Icelandic crime novelist.

Fake snow and road signs in English are now seen everywhere in downtown Reykjanesbær.

Keflavík turned into Alaska

27 Nov Fake snow and road signs in English are now seen all over in downtown Keflavík but shooting for the fourth season of True Detective is planned in the town for the next few days. Kjartan Már Kjartansson, the mayor of Reykjanesbær, says everything is going well in the preparation for the shooting,but it is the production company True North thatis working on changing Keflavík into Alaska in USA.

The lights on the Oslo tree in downtown Austurvöllur were lit today at 4 o'clock.

The lights on the Oslo tree marks the start of the holiday season

27 Nov There was a genuine feeling of joy when the lights of the Oslo tree were turned on at Austurturvöllur today, but the annual event is a mark of the friendship between Oslo in Norway and Reykjavík. It was the 9-year-old Sanders Snær Sigurðsson to assist Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson to tend the lights on the tree.

Icelanders read (or listen to audiobooks) approximately 2.4 books per month on average.

One third of the population reads a book every day

21 Nov Icelanders read or listen to an average of 2.4 books a month, and almost one third of the population reads a book every day or more often, according to the results of a survey on the nation’s attitude towards reading.

It is better to be on the safe side and ask for some clothing for Christmas so you won't be eaten by the yulecat!

The lights lit on the Yulecat in Lækjartorg

20 Nov The lights were lit on the Yulecat in Lækjartorg downtown Reykjavík yesterday. The mayor, Dagur B. Eggertsson was at the lighting ceremony and the musical trio Zimsen sang a few Christmas songs and Grýla and Leppalúði turned up, but they are the parents of the 13 yulelads in Iceland.

Here is the billboard that was sent to space.

A billboard from Icelandic Tourist Board sent to space

18 Nov A new campaign by the Icelandic Tourist Board encourages space travelers to consider Iceland as a more attractive destination, and for that occasion a billboard was sent 35 thousand meters above the stratosphere with the aid of a weather balloon. The message on the sign is simple: Iceland is a better destination than space.

Fans of Walliams posing with the author at the book signing in the bookstore Penninn-Eymundsson.

Huge turnout at a book signing - and some had to leave without their book signed

14 Nov Some fans of the children’s book author and actor David Walliams were not happy campers when they did not get their books signed on Saturday after having waited in a long line in front of the bookstore Penninn-Eymundsson at Smáralind mall. The author had to leave due to a previous engagement.

Ingibjörg Valgeirsdóttir and Mjöll Þórarinsdóttir are both on the board of the international YMCA project Christmas in a shoebox.

Record number of Christmas boxes collected this year

13 Nov A total of 5,575 shoeboxes were collected in the project “Christmas in a shoebox” which is a project of the Christian YMCA associations in Iceland called KFUM and KFUK. This year there have never been as many boxes collected for the project in Iceland.

Moviegoers in the small but cozy Bíó Paradís in downtown Reykjavík were pleasantly surprised when they saw the famous actress Jodie Foster in their midst.

Foster went to the movies in Reykjavík

12 Nov The actress Jodie Foster is staying in Reykjavík these days and weeks. She is in the middle of shooting the HBO TV show True Detective, the fourth season here in Iceland. In the show Foster is the leading lady.

Björk at the Metaverse virtual music festival that starts today

10 Nov The Icelandic singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir will be among the musicians at the Metaverse virtual music festival, which is now held for the secondtime. The music festival will take place in the virtual world of Decentraland, in Metaverse, from November 10th-13th. The music festival is free and it is not necessary to wear virtual reality goggles.