Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1984, Page 152

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
cclebration, but tbis time on June 17, the birthday of the national liberation hcrojón Sig-
urðsson (1811-1879). Behind this idea there Iay no doubt a new liberatíon movcment
against Danish rule together with thc struggle for a separate Icelandic flag. Thc devotion
to thc king, the Danish flag and the Danish national anthem, which always was a part of
the August 2 celebration, was a thorn in thc flcsh of the new liberation cnthusiasts. Thc
celcbration of June 17 thercfore was a mattcr of great disunion in thc next years until
1911, whcn the centennial of the lcadcr Jón Sigurðsson was celebrated by all parts.
Among other things thc Univcrsity of Iceland was officially foundcd on that day. From
that ycar, howevcr, June 17 was mainly made fcstive by sport organizations in the whole
country until 1944.
On December 1, 1918, Iceland bccame a sovcreign state in royal pcrsonal union with
Denmark. In the ycar 1921 students of the Icclandic University began to cclebrate this
Day of Sovcreignty and, as a mattcr of fact, thcy still do so. Gradually Deccmbcr 1 bcc-
ame a scmi-official National Day until 1944, but it provcd to be a somcwhat inconvenient
date for outdoor cclcbrations duc to weather conditions in that part of the year.
One June 17, 1944 thc Republic of Iccland was proclaimcd at Þingvellir. In thc samc
year it was made a lcgal flag day, but it did not becomc a legal holiday until 1971, when
most tradc unions had alrcady forccd it as a holiday into contracts with thcir cmploycrs.