On Friday, January 6, Icelanders will celebrate one of the unique Icelandic holidays: Þrettándinn. This day, which is the thirteenth day of Christmas in Iceland, marks the official end to the Christmas celebrations in Iceland. It is celebrated with bonfires, fireworks and family dinners.
Elves and the end of Christmas
The Thirteenth Day of Christmas is one of the most heathen of the holidays celebrated in Iceland. According to myth it is one of the days when the hidden people, the elves, make themselves visible to humans. The Elf King and Queen visit the bonfires, and people sing songs about the elves and dance elf-dances.
The Thirteenth is also when the last of the Icelandic Yule Lads returns back to the mountains.
Read more: The mystery, origins and history of the strange Icelandic Yule lads
The more practical feature of Þrettándinn is that this is the day Icelanders take down their Christmas decorations and throw out the Christmas trees: Leaving the Christmas decorations up past Þrettándinn is viewed as bordering on bad taste!
Three Þrettándabrennur bonfires in Reykjavík
If you want to get a taste of the celebrations, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the elves, you should join a Þrettándabrenna, one of the Thirteenth of Christmas bonfires. There will be three bonfires in Reykjavík: Two in the suburbs and one close to downtown.
Ægissíða bonfire and firework display: At 18:00 children will gather at Melaskóli elementary school in Vesturbærinn neighborhood, just west of downtown Reykjavík and walk from there with flares and torches to the coastline by Ægissíða street. The bonfire will be lit at 18:30 and at 18:45 a firework display will be held. (see map)
Grafarvogur bonfire and firework display: At 17:00 the festivities will begin with hot coco at the Gufunesbær farm and community center in the neighborhood of Grafarvogur, a northeastern suburb of Reykjavík. At 17:55 a torch-walk will march from the farm to the bonfire, which will be lit at 18:00. A fireworks show takes place at 18:30. (see map)
Grafarholt bonfire: A torch walk gathers at Guðríðarkirkja church in the Grafarholt neighborhood, a suburb on the eastern outskirts of Reykjavík. The nearby bonfire will be lit shortly thereafter. (see map)
On Friday, January 6, Icelanders will celebrate one of the unique Icelandic holidays: Þrettándinn. This day, which is the thirteenth day of Christmas in Iceland, marks the official end to the Christmas celebrations in Iceland. It is celebrated with bonfires, fireworks and family dinners.
Elves and the end of Christmas
The Thirteenth Day of Christmas is one of the most heathen of the holidays celebrated in Iceland. According to myth it is one of the days when the hidden people, the elves, make themselves visible to humans. The Elf King and Queen visit the bonfires, and people sing songs about the elves and dance elf-dances.
The Thirteenth is also when the last of the Icelandic Yule Lads returns back to the mountains.
Read more: The mystery, origins and history of the strange Icelandic Yule lads
The more practical feature of Þrettándinn is that this is the day Icelanders take down their Christmas decorations and throw out the Christmas trees: Leaving the Christmas decorations up past Þrettándinn is viewed as bordering on bad taste!
Three Þrettándabrennur bonfires in Reykjavík
If you want to get a taste of the celebrations, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the elves, you should join a Þrettándabrenna, one of the Thirteenth of Christmas bonfires. There will be three bonfires in Reykjavík: Two in the suburbs and one close to downtown.
Ægissíða bonfire and firework display: At 18:00 children will gather at Melaskóli elementary school in Vesturbærinn neighborhood, just west of downtown Reykjavík and walk from there with flares and torches to the coastline by Ægissíða street. The bonfire will be lit at 18:30 and at 18:45 a firework display will be held. (see map)
Grafarvogur bonfire and firework display: At 17:00 the festivities will begin with hot coco at the Gufunesbær farm and community center in the neighborhood of Grafarvogur, a northeastern suburb of Reykjavík. At 17:55 a torch-walk will march from the farm to the bonfire, which will be lit at 18:00. A fireworks show takes place at 18:30. (see map)
Grafarholt bonfire: A torch walk gathers at Guðríðarkirkja church in the Grafarholt neighborhood, a suburb on the eastern outskirts of Reykjavík. The nearby bonfire will be lit shortly thereafter. (see map)
