Festivals and fairs are among the most important aspects of Icelandic culture. They reflect not only the nature of Iceland, but also of its people. Icelanders await and prepare for these lavish celebrations with reverence and anticipation.
A centuries-old tradition
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In Iceland, as in any other country, a combination of nature, folklore, religious beliefs, economic factors, history and influences every celebration. However, it is the tenacious adherence to their ancient customs of Iceland, Iceland dating back to pre-Christian pagan history featuring their best festivals like 'Þorrablot' (Thorrablot).
A feast of Viking Traditional Food
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One of the most anticipated events is Icelandic Þorrablot, 'The blessing of Thorr', which begins on the first day of Thorr, the fourth month of the Icelandic winter. In the standard calendar, it always begins on Friday between 19 and 25 January and ends on Saturday between 18 and 24 February. The climax of this festival is an annual month-long consumption of traditional food Viking. These delicacies include 'SVID' (head of boiled sheep's), 'hákarl' (putrefied shark meat Greenland), 'Skyr' (yogurt made with 'rennet' [an solids from the stomach lining mammalian ungulates such as cattle , sheep and goats]), 'flatkokur' (flat, thin rye bread eaten with butter), 'hardfiskur' (dried fish, eaten with butter), 'lifrarpylsa' (pudding made of lamb's liver), and 'Brennivin '(an alcoholic distillate from potatoes and flavored with cumin seeds grass).
The diet and food habits of the Icelandic people, like those of many other nationalities, have largely changed over time, no surprise to see that many Icelanders eat foods prepared the old way only during festivals.
In short
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'Viking' is a sea of a Scandinavian people who raided the coasts of northern and western from the eighth through the tenth century.
Tracing the origin
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Many historians say that the Icelandic earliest reference to existing Þorrablot word can be found in the late fourteenth-century collection of ancient Icelandic manuscript 'Flateyjarbók,' (the book Flatey). According to the book, some Thorr King held a festival that offers every winter late to ask the gods to save her kingdom from the rigors of freezing season. So many people believe that the fourth month the Icelandic winter, 'Thorr' (Thorr)-when the season is at its mildest, it was named after the king said, who started the festival in the first place. Through time, Icelanders came to regard the king as a god Icelandic winter. For other people, however, Þorrablot means' festival Thor'-old festival originally celebrated at a later date in Iceland in honor of pagan Norse god Thor.
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Celebrate in the modern
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Whatever its true origin, Þorrablot to this day remains a standard part of the Icelandic social calendar, and was also adopted by many neighboring countries such as Denmark, Greenland, Norway and Sweden.
As celebrations take place in winter, most of the food served are kept somewhat dried, pickled in whey, putrefied, salted or smoked. And in the midst of this avalanche of food are children playing traditional games, dancing, singing old songs Icelandic, and drink a lot (especially that 'Brennivin' and other alcoholic beverages in the winter, ideal for warming the body and shaking the spirits) .
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