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You may be surprised to discover that there are many popular festivals in Iceland. From the more traditional festivals to the more modern ones, Icelanders have important festivals and celebrations throughout most of the year. The cold and ice don’t put them off.

The country of Iceland has an area of 103.000 km2, and its inhabitants succeeded in changing the government and removing their prime minister. The population is of Nordic origin, particularly of Celts and Scandinavians.

This Nordic inheritance is clearly present in the country’s demonstrations and cultural events. Nonetheless, it is also a modern society at the forefront of technology and contemporary art.

Let’s find out which are the most representative popular Icelandic festivals taking place according to the months of the year that you can choose when visiting the country.

January and February

During these two months, one of the most important Icelandic festivals takes place: the Thorrablót. This Icelandic festival is also known as the Thurseblot and celebrates the ancient month of Thor. The festival has medieval origins which include a gastronomic feast that is not suitable for those with a delicate constitution.

Families and friends gather during these months to eat traditional dishes from Icelandic cuisine. If you are invited by an Icelander, the menu consists of, and you can try dishes including sheep’s head, right through to ram’s testicles and even fermented shark meat. All washed down with abundant Brennivín, the traditional Icelandic drink. A complete banquet in the purest medieval style.

For three days at the end of February, Icelanders celebrate the Festival of the Winter Lights. There are many activities and displays taking place, particularly in the capital and in the Natural Park of Laugardalur.

March

This month continues the culinary banquets, as March is the month in which the most emblematic culinary events take place in Iceland. In Reykjavik, an international cuisine festival is celebrated which draws the best chefs in the world.

During the festival, different chefs work in the kitchens of different restaurants and create original dishes with one hundred percent Icelandic ingredients. If you visit the country in March, don’t miss the opportunity to do some gastronomic tourism and to discover new flavors.

April and May

Among the popular Icelandic festivals that take place in April, Easter also has its days of celebration. Smoked lamb and chocolate eggs are the main characters in this festival of Catholic origin.

Also in April, Icelanders celebrate the First Day of Summer, the “Sumardagurinn Fyrsti”, according to the ancient Nordic calendar. There are popular barbecues and traditional dances from Icelandic folklore.

In May, the most notable festivals in Iceland are the Ascension and Pentecost, which are also related to the Catholic religion.

June and July

June commemorates one of Iceland’s most important dates, their Independence. The streets are filled with parades and official functions and concerts, popular meals are also organized, and the festival ends with a fireworks display.

Also in June, towards the end of the month, Icelanders celebrate the coming of the Midnight Sun, with music marathons and many bonfires in honor of the ancient Nordic gods.

And if you want to visit the famous Viking Festival at Hafnarfjörður, you will need to be in the country on 21 June. Numerous events bring many Icelanders together, wearing their traditional dress, to celebrate this festival. There are crafts stalls, dances, and traditional Icelandic gastronomy.

In the Westman Islands, during the last week of July, Icelanders organize concerts and many fireworks displays. There is also the Folk Music Festival at Sigluf Jördur. Be sure to go there if you are in Iceland this weekend.

August

August includes one of the most participatory festivals in Iceland: the Menningarnótt or Night of Culture. In mid-August, in Reykjavik, the art galleries, museums, and even private houses open their doors to the public so that they can enjoy many works of art.

Of course, there are also concerts and fireworks displays to celebrate the event, as well as theatre, cinema, cabaret and all kinds of cultural events.  There are also other festivals in the capital during this month, like the Reykjavík Dance Festival, the Lókal International Theatre Festival, and the culinary festival of Great Fish Day.

September to December

During the Icelandic autumn, various music festivals are celebrated, such as the Sláturtíð; the Music Festival of Thjorsarver; and the Iceland Airwaves. All take place between the end of September and October and bring the many international events to the country.

In the same way, as many other countries worldwide, in December Icelanders celebrate Christmas. Both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are celebrated in Iceland with large family meals and fireworks displays.

You will find all the above during your trip to this unique country. Don’t forget to note some of these festivals on your travel guide and enjoy the company of the Icelanders during their celebrations.

While you have been preparing for your trip, you have no doubt asked yourself what you can eat in Iceland. Well, cuisine in this country has two basic pillars: fish and meat. There are also some dishes containing vegetables and dairy produce.

The majority of traditional dishes eaten in Iceland are preserved and may be fermented, marinated, smoked, dried or salted. Food which has undergone the drying process, or Purrkun, is the most abundant.

On the other hand, fish is undoubtedly the star of Icelandic gastronomy. Whether salmon, shark, cod or herring, it is included in soups, meatballs, salads, stews, and even aperitifs. But, let’s have a more detailed look at the traditional Icelandic dishes that you can try during your trip.

Hardfiskur

This dish has an almost unpronounceable name and is made with dried fish, normally cod. It is eaten spread with butter and is one of the most traditional dishes of Icelandic cuisine. Icelanders are practical cooks, so you will be able to find this fish dish vacuum packed in many supermarkets.

Plokkfiskur

Fish, potatoes, and onion are used to make this traditional Icelandic dish. They are boiled together to make a stew which is well-known and popular throughout the country. Apart from the above ingredients, it also contains butter, milk, flour, salt, and pepper. This is the perfect dish to warm you up and to savor the succulent Icelandic food.

Hákarl

Continuing with fish, we move on to the shark. To make this Icelandic dish, shark meat is fermented for a month and a half at least. Once the fermentation process is complete, it is dried and, once dried, it is ready to eat. The shape is reminiscent of the traditional Spanish pork trotters, but don’t be confused by this, it has a very strong flavor, even for the most accustomed Icelanders.

Hrútspungur

If you are not afraid to try new things, you may be brave enough to try this Icelandic invention consisting of a cake made of macerated ram’s testicles. These are cut into slices and are served in a type of soup or broth. There are opinions both ways on this dish, so you will only know if you like it or not by trying it for yourself.

Porramatur

This is a combination of different types of dried, smoked meat. It is served cut into slices or pieces and is eaten as a buffet food, in the same way as Spanish cured meats. It is part of a fish and meat starter. You may find anything from whale meat, to beef. The taste depends on the variety of meats used.

Kjötsúpa

Another traditional Icelandic dish to rebuild strength is a soup of vegetables and mutton. This is made with cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, turnips and the joint of mutton. To flavor it, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, celery, and salt are used. All the ingredients result in a very tasty soup to be eaten in winter.

Svie

Mutton, as we mentioned earlier, is one of the basic foods of Icelandic gastronomy. In this case, to prepare the Svie, a boiled sheep’s head is eaten accompanied by a puree of potatoes and turnips.

Pylsur

This is the name given to hot dogs in Iceland, that is, they have their own particular way of preparing them. With a little predisposition to invasion by other cultures, Icelanders have allowed this snack into their kitchens. They prepare it with mutton or pork meat and serve it accompanied with raw onion, Lombardy cabbage, and mild mustard.

Skyr

This Icelandic dessert consists of yogurt whose texture and flavor is very much like fresh cheese. It used not only used as a pudding or as a snack, but it also accompanies dried fish dishes. To make it, skimmed milk is used, to which blueberry conserve is added. It is delicious, so much so that it is eaten beyond the country’s borders.

Other traditional Icelandic desserts are pancakes, known in Iceland as Pönnukökur, and the Slöngukaka, a chocolate cake that you will want to eat at any time.

Brennivín

The Brennivín or burning wine is the traditional Icelandic drink. Its main constituents include fermented potatoes, to which are added cumin and caraway seeds to give it aroma. This strong-flavored alcoholic drink is 40% proof, so if you try it, do so in moderation.

In relation to drinks, you should also try some of the Icelandic beers. The Brío and Boli beers are the most famous and recommended ones. Now you know what to eat in Iceland and which are the main traditional dishes. Don’t forget to discover new flavors during your trip, as this is also part of the experience.  

Of everything you can buy in Iceland which you could imagine, you certainly didn't expect some very special souvenirs. The land of ice, as this country is known in Old Nordic, has some extraordinary typical products.

To talk about the typical products of Iceland is to enter a magical world of unique legends and sounds. Icelandic music, a popular culture full of elves and fairies, and the scenarios of Game of Thrones can only be found in this country.

Let's see, out of all the souvenirs of Iceland which you could take home, which ones are the most representative.

Lopapeysa Jumpers

Icelandic wool jumpers are undoubtedly the most typical things to buy in Iceland. The wool of the sheep of this country has a unique quality, which makes the garments made with it highly valued. If you want a perfect gift to fight the cold, don't hesitate to buy an Icelandic wool garment. Of course, check that it isn't made in China, and go to places where they guarantee its authenticity.

Icelandic Sagas

Another one of the souvenirs of Iceland with which to surprise yourself are the sagas, a compendium of the history, culture and popular folklore of the traditional Icelandic culture. These beautifully written stories are the perfect memory of a different and incredibly beautiful country. If you want to get the best sagas, we recommend the Saga of Njál and Egil. Both narrate Icelandic history in medieval times and are authentic treasures of the country's literature.

Icelandic fiction novels

Iceland is one of the countries with the most writers per capita in the world. Authors such as Halldór Laxness, who has been awarded the Nobel Prize, attest to the quality of fiction literature in this frozen country. If you like reading, this is something to buy in Iceland which will help you remember your visit to the country in a special way.

Works of art

In the Icelandic art galleries, they exhibit well-known artists. If you like art and want to take home a sample, you can visit the Mokka Café or Port Verkefnarými. Contemporary Icelandic paintings and illustrations will satisfy the most demanding tastes.

Omnon Chocolate

One of the main brands of Icelandic chocolate is Omnon, which manufactures a variety of chocolates of great quality and flavor. This is one of the typical products of Iceland which is most coveted by tourists and lovers of sweet food. You can find it both in supermarkets and in souvenir shops, and I assure you that you will not regret having bought it.

Blooberg tea

Blooberg tea is actually a variety of Icelandic thyme with antibacterial properties. It is perfect for curing colds and stomach problems and has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. You can find it in most supermarkets and it happens to be one of the most traditional Icelandic products.

Brennivín

To remember your trip to Iceland there is nothing better than a bottle of Brennivín liquor. This brandy is made from potato purée, which is flavored with caraway. It is the traditional Icelandic drink and will remind you of the frozen landscapes which you have admired so much during your trip.

Icelandic condoms

The Icelandic sense of humor is poorly known, however, Icelanders love to laugh at themselves as much as at tourists. Therefore, they have created a range of condoms called Enjoy our Nature, with images of erupting volcanoes or northern lights. The wrappers have naughty phrases like high-quality condoms from the country of explosions. If you want to take a different souvenir from Iceland, this is what you were looking for.

Sweets with powers

If that is the way Icelanders are, they are able to market Icelandic souvenirs as the original. In this case, these are bags of sweets which provide special skills. There are some to let you see elves, sing like Björk, have magical powers or understand Sigur Rós. Of all the typical Icelandic products, these take the prize for originality and self-confidence.

Boats to Bit of Iceland

We continue with the typical products to buy in Iceland to get a smile from your friends. In the souvenir shops, you will find some boats labeled with the most bizarre contents. They have anything from an ice cube of a glacier, to volcanic ash, all with instructions and a little history of the content. You can even take home pure Icelandic packed air. If you thought that the cold made them have a bad character, these souvenirs will make you completely change your mind.

Now that you know what to buy in Iceland, as you may have seen, this magnificent country offers you many different and unique souvenirs and typical products. Do not forget to take one of them as a souvenir of your visit.