Crack the Icelandic Aurora Code: Meet Iceland at Night
It’s that time again—time to sit down with my good friend Sævar Helgi Bragason, Iceland’s stargazer-in-chief. He’s the person I always turn to when the spectacular Icelandic aurora is set to dance across the sky. Readers will remember Sævar from our previous conversations about stargazing...
Want to Celebrate Icelandic Christmas – Here is the Ultimate guide
Icelanders go big on Christmas. Not only is generous gift giving a core feature of Icelandic Christmas. The festival lasts 13 days. Like elsewhere in the western world, Christmas celebrations and preparations start obnoxiously early, but we Icelanders try to extend the ancient solstice festivities...
The Icelandic Christmas Cat: Iceland’s Most Terrifying Yuletide Monster
The horrible Icelandic Yule lads were a gruesome bunch of trolls that terrorized children and stole food from hungry peasants around Christmas. Their parents were the horrible ogre Grýla, who ate naughty children, and her bedridden, lazy, no-good husband Leppalúði. And there was their pet,...
Chasing Fire: The Dutch Lava Master Documenting Iceland’s Eruptions
In a land where fire meets ice, Rico de Jong has found his element. The 24-year-old Dutch photographer and videographer didn’t just move to Iceland for his master’s degree in Volcanology. He moved to chase the raw, untamed beauty of a landscape that refuses to be...
The 13 Icelandic Yule Lads: Iceland’s Bad Santas
Icelanders have their version of Santa Claus. Actually, we have thirteen versions of Santa Claus. Yes! Iceland has thirteen Santa Clauses, called Yule lads (‘Jólasveinar’ in Icelandic). The global trend of gentrification has caught up with them, and now they are a delight to children....
Your Northern Lights Guide Just Got Better – All You Need to Chase the Aurora in Iceland
I’ve just given my Iceland Northern Lights guide a major upgrade, and I’m excited to share what’s new. If you’re planning to see the Northern Lights in Iceland, you need more than just hope and a warm jacket. You need accurate information, realistic expectations, and practical...
Icelandic Halloween Special: The Undead Deacon of Dark River
I am a huge fan of the imported festival of Halloween. It has become very popular here in Iceland, which is not surprising. Icelandic culture and folklore are wedded to the macabre. Since it is the spooky season, I thought it would be a good...
Songs of Longing and Love: Icelandic Soprano Hallveig Rúnarsdóttir Releases Hauntingly Beautiful Nordic Album
If you’re heading to Iceland this autumn and want to experience something truly soulful, mark your calendar for October 25th. That’s when one of Iceland’s most beloved sopranos, and my very own much better half, Hallveig Rúnarsdóttir, will take the stage in Harpa’s Norðurljós Hall...
