December 2006

A big part of New Year’s in Iceland is the bonfire tradition, in which huge fires are lit throughout the country on New Year’s Eve. These inevitably draw a big crowd and for many it’s an indispensable part of the evening – going out to the bonfire after a big festive dinner and meeting up with your friends and neighbours.

One of the largest ones in Reykjavík is near our place and today I walked past and saw that they have a fairly substantial pile of wood set up there for tomorrow. With any luck we’ll make it down there … the fire is lit at 8.30 pm and extinguished a little past 10, I believe – just prior to the Áramótaskaup, an annual send-up of the year’s events that has Nicelanders glued to their TV screens – and causes the streets to be empty – from 10.30 to 11.30 pm. [A more detailed description of Nicelandic New Year’s traditions may be found in last year’s instalment, here.]

But back to bonfires. Only today did I discover that lighting big fires on New Year’s Eve is a tradition unique to Iceland. The first report of such a fire dates back to 1791 when a bunch of guys studying at Hólavallaskóli gathered barrels and timber and set them on fire, on what today is Landakotstún [where the Catholic church is] – which happens to be the place where we go to shoot up our fireworks at midnight [along with virtually all of the West End … it happens to be the highest place in the vicinity so you have an excellent view of the splendiferous pyrotechnics in the sky.]

Some 50 years later, New Year’s bonfires had become common in Reykjavík, and by that time people had started dancing ‘Elf dances’ around them [guffaw!]. This is believed to hail from a play performed by yet another school [Lærði skólinn], in which they dressed up like elves, marched down to the Tjörnin pond with torches and danced and sang “elf songs”.

In addition to this, there are lots of myths connected with New Year’s Eve in Niceland. Supposedly cows start talking, but you shouldn’t try to eavesdrop because you will almost certainly go mad. Also, the elves move house on New Year’s Eve and you are advised to lie down at a crossroads on New Year’s night, from which four churches are visible. Elves will then appear from all directions, ask you to follow them and offer you gold and treasures, clothes, food and drink if you do. However, you must not accept because immediately you’ll become spellbound and subsequently go mad. However, if you stoically manage to get through until morning without responding, superstition has it that the elves will disappear but their wealth and treasures will remain and be yours.

So in other words, if you’re in need of some quick cash, just find a Nicelandic crossroads, make sure you can see four churches, and lie down. Problem solved. Just don’t mention my name to the elves.

WEATHER?
Who cares what the weather is today – all eyes are on tomorrow. If there was ever a day in which the weather is of prime importance it’s New Year’s Eve. Two years ago, for instance, there was a storm and they had to cancel the bonfires and it just wasn’t the same. Sigh. Neither do you want too much snowfall, or rain, or fog. Clear skies are an absolute must. And too much wind – scary. Nobody wants a firecracker to blow up their dress/coat/trouser leg/nostril. Sooooo… I’m happy to report that the forecast for tomorrow is excellent. Moderate winds and scattered clouds, with temps of around 2°C. Today the sun came up at 11.21 and set at 15.40. And the day feels much longer already. Really. Both EPI and I noticed.

I cannot tell you how appalled I was to learn today that evil corporate giant Alcan sent each and every resident of Hafnarfjörður [municipality in the Greater Reykjavík Area] a CD/DVD wrapped in tin foil as a Christmas present. How blatant - and tasteless - can their bribery get?

Alcan owns and operates the aluminium smelter on the outskirts of Hafnarfjörður [the one you pass on your way from the airport], and are lobbying to be able to enlarge the plant from 180,000 tons presently, to 480,000 tons. That enlargement is pending a municipal referendum, hence Alcan’s transparent efforts to buy the votes of the local folks.

The CD/DVD is a recording of a concert given by Icelandic crooner Björgvin Halldórsson last fall, to which Alcan invited its employees as well as all Hafnarfjördur residents, free of charge. The gift was accompanied by a letter from CEO Rannveig Rist in which she claimed it was sent to commemorate Alcan’s 40 years of operations in Iceland, and stated that she hoped the election campaign would be “objective and rational”.

The real question is, of course, whether Alcan’s methods are “objective and rational”. A few weeks ago, for instance, it launched an ad campaign that is so blatantly self-flattering and image enhancing that it’s quite nauseating. So nauseating, in fact, that I can’t imagine it having anything other than the opposite of the desired effect. I’m talking half-page spreads in the local newspapers with pictures of elated employees under headings like “I received a new perspective on life“, and a television ad with choral singing and general euphoria, in which Alcan employees wish all Icelanders Happy Holidays.

In addition to the above-cited concert invitation, they also invited Hafnarfjörður residents to a football match recently, plan to send round a special calendar to all residents with pictures by local artists, and are sponsoring a huge fireworks display - in collaboration with the local search-and-rescue team - tomorrow.

According to CEO Rist, this is Alcan’s way of “giving back to the community”. However, as someone remarked to me the other day, “they’re targeting the most vulnerable aspects of society” - the arts, the community centres, the search-and-rescue teams … in short, the people who need the money. It’s absolutely insidious and cunning - and, I might add, quite a departure from their previous stance, earlier this year, in which they threatened to close the plant entirely if they were not allowed to enlarge it. Can you say “manipulation”? I can.

In view of all this, major props go to the organization Sól í Straumi, which is valiantly opposing the enlargement despite general inertia and apathy from their fellow residents. On receiving their CD through the mail slot they immediately rallied like-minded individuals to gather at 3 pm today and ceremoniously return their “Christmas gifts” to Alcan - which they did.

To my mind, the best Christmas gift of all would be to have the residents of the town reject the enlargement altogether - even in the face of Alcan’s threats to pull out of the community they’re now “giving back to”, if they don’t get their way.

[Incidentally, there is more on the flogging of Iceland’s beautiful wilderness to the aluminium industry here, and also on the Saving Iceland website.]

OUR CURRENT WEATHER IS…
It’s been extremely windy today with bouts of heavy rain - the sort of day where you don’t want to venture outside without your Gore-tex waterproofs on. Went for an excellent, bracing stroll around the golf course this afternoon wearing just that and it was utterly delightful, what with the waves crashing and the wind howling. Had to drive out to Kópavogur [almost Hafnarfjörður] this evening and was a bit spooked by the heavy rain and the wind - especially because of those crazy Nicelandic motorists who drive like utter madmen no matter what the weather. However, the rain didn’t stop the nutcases who go crazy playing with pyrotechnics at this time of year - the explosions have duly begun, now that the fireworks vendors are open for business. For those of you who don’t know, fireworks are sold unrestricted to the [adult] public these few days between Christmas and New Years’ - culminating in New Year’s Eve, when all hell breaks loose. Right now it’s a mild 9° Centigrade, and the sun came up at 11.22 and went down at 15.37.

Ah, Christmas. Those few special days of glorious tradition and creature comforts: eating, sleeping, eating, lazing in bed, snoozing, eating, sleeping. And rising on the third day for a walkabout and some photo-snapping in a city all dressed up for Yule.

Our putrid skate party went off without a hitch; the photos weren’t terribly exciting this year and if the truth be told I was feeling a wee bit poorly the next day and methinks perhaps the rotten food was to blame. Although I would never say it out loud. Valkyries like YT simply imbibe the putrid skate - they do not complain, complaining is for sissies. Still, it was worth it and will undoubtedly be repeated next year if all stays the same, i.e. if EPI’s brother and sister-in-law stay in town and DO NOT go up north like they threatened to do this year, striking dread in the heart of all who have come to depend on this oh-so excellent tradition [but hey, no pressure, though!]

EPI’s daughter, who is working in the reception of one of the main hotels in town, came over tonight and was absolutely dead on her feet. Evidently the tourists are flocking in for New Years’ Eve and there are lots of them. They come from All Over - the US and UK [of course], Russia, China, India, Japan, and all over Europe. And well-heeled they are sure to be - the hotel where she works charges the GDP of a small African nation per night’s accommodation. So I guess we’d better put on a good show. [Never fear!]

Our weather has been exceedingly pleasant - in fact since Christmas Eve it’s been more akin to spring than the middle of winter. Today was mild and calm and the snow is long gone from the ground. Currently it’s 7°C and sunrise later today will be at 11.22 and sunset at 15.35.

… You know which day I mean. It’s… EAT-PUTRID-SKATE-DAY!!

Yes, dear readers, this is the day when homes and neighbourhoods throughout the country are filled with the, ahem, pungent aroma of putrid skate, which to the uninitiated may best be described as a cross between urine and ammonia. Sound horrific? Yes, but according to the front page of Fréttablaðið today, eating putrid skate actually cures colds and increases your libido. The first one I’ll buy - even just entering a room where putid skate is being prepared will bring tears to your eyes and clear your sinuses in a second. In fact, two years ago EPI was ill with the flu on this day, but after some coercing schlepped himself over to his brothers’ place [a stone’s throw away] where YT was living it up at their annual Putrid Skate Party. Sure enough, by the very next day EPI was fit as a fiddle [whereas YT was feeling exceedingly poorly - but by then all the putrid skate was gone, so I couldn’t use it as a cure, alas]. - As for the libido bit, weeellll… methinks those Alpha Males of the West Fjords do flatter themselves just a tiny bit.

Evidently, eating putrid skate originates from the West Fjords, where [they say] the wealthier members of society [all five-or-so of them] fed their workers putrid skate on Þorláksmessa [St. Thorlák’s Mass - which is today] so that anything would taste better to them until the next Þorláksmessa. I’m sure they never envisioned that it would become a nationwide, er… delicacy or - at the very least - provide occasion for folks to get together and down some seriously potent Akvavit, which you need to be able to imbibe the stuff.

Incidentally, the skate is actually made putrid by placing it in a sealed plastic container for over a month. They claim this was once a preservation method, but hey. Surely there are better ways of preserving stuff than to make it go rotten - wouldn’t you say?

At any rate, I shall be attending EPI’s brother and sister-in-law’s annual skate party this evening and shall be sure to bring my camera for your subsequent viewing pleasure. In the meantime, here is last year’s report.

Oh and by the way, it’s also my birthday today. What I want? Same thing I want every day: Peace on Earth, and a comment.

WE HAD INSANE WEATHER LAST NIGHT, BUT NOW IT’S ALL PROPER AND GOOD
Just a hint of a breeze, 5°C, sunrise was at 11.22 and sunset is at 15.31.

PS. you can see a video of a putrid skate party here, held by the amazing Sægreifinn [The Sea Baron - also interviewed] who I am resolved to devote a separate post to soon. This guy is a national treasure.

EPI and I were really really good… so look what we got in our shoe:*

Ms Magnifica DeLonghi, if you please. Quite the stunner, wouldn’t you agree?

HEY! WHAT’S WITH THE STORM? IT’S CHRISTMAS, YOU KNOW!
Oh, what a day it’s been! Started out benignly enough… until I went out for a walk to the bakery, that is. On the way - as I walked along the seashore - it started huffing and puffing and… finally it grew exceedingly dark and before I knew what had hit me I was in the midst of the most wicked hailstorm I’ve ever known. It was the most absurd situation: walking along listening to old Diana Krall singing the calmest candlelight Christmas music ever on the iPod, and then BAM! all of a sudden I have to dig my feet into the ground to keep from being blown out to sea and the backs of my legs are being pummeled with hailstones. It hurt like hell! I’m sure I have hail-sized bruises! While old Diana kept crooning ‘White Christmas’ all warm and cozy, like. It was so crazy I started laughing and I’m sure all the passers by thought I was certifiably insane [er… all none of them - because you had to be insane to be out there] and note bene - that was just the beginning. A couple hours later we had British Airways jets being redirected to Egilsstaðir in the east on account of the storm, and needless to say all domestic flights were cancelled [which means we have a lot of British tourists hanging around Egilsstaðir tonight, wondering what the hell to do with themselves]. It’s still crazy windy, and is supposed to alternate between this and perfect calm until Christmas Day. Temps 1°C and sunrise and sunset the same as yesterday imagine that. OH AND THE WINTER SOLSTICE IS TODAY! INTO THE LIGHT ONCE MORE!

*OK, so it’s actually a wedding prez from his father.

When AAH was little, she totally bought into the whole Yule Lad thing. When her little friends, aged nine or so, started whispering that maybe there was no such thing as the Yule Lads, AAH vehemently opposed them. She had proof. Not only did the Yule Lads leave presents [or occasionally a potato - very occasionally] in her shoe, they also left her letters. Written in Old English font. And who else but the Yule Lads wrote letters in Old English font.

Guilty as charged. That’s right: when little AAH had fallen asleep one evening, YT - on a whim - sat herself down and wrote a letter from the Yule Lad of the day. Undoubtedly I had an ulterior motive - it was already obvious that Icelandic children were on their best behavior all through December, and the Yule Lads were used shamelessly by parents to manipulate and coerce.

Of course, they could also be used for positive reinforcement, to wit:



Dear [AAH]
Oh how wonderful it is to come into such a tidy and beautiful room. I can see you’ve done a great job of tidying up. Congratulations. Now that you’re learning how to read, we can start leaving you letters. I only hope you can read our lettering. [Heheh.] I’m leaving something you’ll like in your shoe - something you can use for crafts. Thank you very much for the ginger snap and the glass of milk. Both were delicious. Goodbye, your Gimpy

Problem was, I wasn’t really planning on doing it every night. But little AAH soon grew quite insistent:

Would you please send me a letter dear Yule Lads!!! Yours, [AAH] !!! !

Obviously I had passed the point of no return. It turned out that AAH looked forward to reading the letters in the morning almost as much as she looked forward to the gift in the shoe. So YT continued with her brazen agenda:

Dear [AAH],
I could have given you something very nice in your shoe tonight. I happen to know that you’re a good girl, really. But we Yule Lads have certain rules we must follow. We’re not allowed to give kids presents in their shoes unless they’ve been really good all day long. And unfortunately you were a little naughty yesterday. For example, I know you like to go swimming, but you do have to obey your mom when she says it’s time to get out of the water. Do you know what my mother did when me and my brothers refused to get out of the pond back home? She grabbed us by the nape of the neck, pulled us out, and then spanked us on our bare bottoms. That was not fun, let me tell you. You know, your mom loves you very much and sometimes it’s really hard for her when you’re sulking like you do. Today you should try to be good and we’ll see if you don’t get something nice in your shoe the next night. Goodbye, your Pot-Scraper Licker. PS. Thank you for the cookie and the milk, both were delicious. I’ll make sure Itty-Bitty gets the nut you left for him.

I seem to remember that this worked exceptionally well - for a few days. At that point, AAH started taking preventitive measures before the Yule Lad came:

I’m sorry, dear Yule Lad, that me and Sunna were so angry and so naughty today. I think you’ll want to have this song. [?!] Please give me a letter.

Now, if only there was something like this that could work on the importunate teenager…

THERE IS A STORM HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK
And there has been a lot of drama in the last 24 hours. A huge transport vessel stranded just off the south coast of Reykjanes and this is Very Bad News. A Danish defense ship was nearby and went to provide assistance; tragically one of the Danish marines drowned during the rescue effort. The weather is terrible at the scene, and there are fears that the ship will break apart and spill oil. Meanwhile, rivers in south Iceland have grown exponentially and there were fears of flooding that thankfully seem to be abating. Around 100 horses were rescued from where they were trapped by a growing river, but sadly three horses drowned. And finally, landslides have fallen on farms in the north - 10-20 calves were killed in an outhouse and a mudslide hit a farm today and filled the house with a couple feet of mud. The weather is supposed to stay this way until Saturday. So you see, boys and girls - it’s not always fun and games up here! Temps 9°C and sunrise was at 11.21 and sunset at 15.30.

I got my insurance against the Yule Cat today.

It was a close call, but I shall be saved from its treacherous belly once again this year. Phew.

THE WEATHER IS NOT YULE-LIKE ANYMORE
In fact, for the last two days it’s been unseasonably warm and rainy. Coupled with strong winds - from the south, which is preferable to the north, but still not pleasant. EPI and I have just walked home from downtown where we imbibed yet another traditional [for us] Yuletide dinner, this time at the fabulous Jómfrúin [The Virgin]. They’re a danish Smørrebrød outfit and do this amazing Yule platter, which is a combination of All Best Things Danish. Mmm. Anyway, it was blowing pretty hard and there was this fine drizzle that covered us in a veneer of wetness. The sort of weather I remember from Copenhagen, in fact. Currently 9°C and the sun [hah! what sun? we barely had daylight…] here in the capital came up behind the clouds at 11.20 and went down at 15.29. ONLY TWO MORE DAYS UNTIL THE WINTER SOLSTICE! YAY!!

PS. I can’t remember which Yule Lad comes today, but I shall return with a more comprehensive report tomorrow, including an in-depth analysis of the child-rearing benefits of the Yule Lads. Watch this space.