Lögberg-Heimskringla - 16.12.1994, Side 25

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 16. desember 1994 • 25
hristmas iemoNes of celand
by Gunnur Isfeld
hristmas memo-
ries from the
small town in
the West Fjords
in Iceland,
where I lived until age nine,
glow like a shining star in the
memory. Perhaps it is
because the circumstances
were rather bleak otherwise.
My mother, a widow at the
time, had moved back to live
with her parents, who were
living on a small farm just
outside the town of Þingeyri
in Dýrafjörður.
In this little town of about
350 people with the houses
clinging to the side of the
Sandafell mountain, there
were no electric lights, no
electricity except for the gen-
erator, which was used for
the freezing plant and the
harbour area. December was
a very dark month. The sun,
when it did manage to shine,
was only able to throw a pink
glow onto the mountain tops
and most days there was this
eery gray light during the
middle of the day, which then
tumed to dusk and darkness.
It was beautiful to watch
the dark December sky
though on a clear night the
stars were so bright and the
northern lights made the sky
enchanted as they moved
over head in coulors from
pink to green. It was easy to
imagine the Wise Men follow-
ing a special star, and that
people who walked in dark-
ness would see a bright light.
In all this darkness Chcistmas
was truly a welcme happen-
ing.
I had never heard of Santa
Claus, but we eagerly waited
for the Children’s Hour on
the radio the last Sunday
before Christmas, when one
of the Jólasveinar was sure to
visit and talk to all the chil-
dren in Iceland. He would tell
interesting storiés of his for-
tunes and misfortunes on the
way down from his mountain
home and until he arrived in
Reykjavík.
The stories of Grýla,
Leppalúði and the Jólasveinar
came to life this time of year.
The cliffs in the mountains
and other rocky formations
threw long shadows which
seemed to be moving. In the
silence at night, there were
strange sounds of creeking
doors, a hardfish banging
against the the barn gable or
just the howling wind and the
sound from the surf. Strange
rock formations in the moun-
tain were said to be the
remains of trolls, which were
too late to get home before
the light of day fell on them.
Continued on Page 26
Reytýavíh
Biskupsstofa,
Suöurgötu 22, 101
Cinar Jónsson,
húseignaþjónusta,
Laufásvegi 2a, 101
Landsbókasafn íslands,
Hverfisgötu 15, 101
Póstur og sími,
við Austurvöll, 101
Þjóðleikhúsið,
Hverfisgötu, 101
Hard Rock Café,
Krínglunni 8-12, 103
Leikfélag Reykjavíkur,
Listabraut 3, 103
Verslunarráð íslands,
Kringlunni 7, 103
Linnet sf,
Skipasundi 43, 104
Skúlason & Jónsson hf,
Skútuvogi 12h, 104
Vilhjálmsson sf,
Sundaborg 1, 104
Qreefings From Uceland
3esl WisKes j'or a 1-^eace-j-ul (ZX\As\n\cxs aud a "hlappy /\Iew Yeai1!
Við sekvdum ykkup öllum bestu jóla og nýa^s óskm!
Dreifíng sf,
Vatnagöröum 8, 105
G Hannesson Company,
Borgartúni 23, 105
Hafrún, fiskbúö,
Skipholti 70, 105
Hótel Reykjavík,
Rauðarárstíg 37, 105
Iceland Waters Ltd.,
Þverholti 14, 105
P. Árnason,
Skipholti 50c, 105
Prentþjónustan hf,
Bolholti 6, 105
Rikiskaup,
Borgartúni 7, 105
Sjálfsbjörg, landssamband
fatlaöra, Hátúni 12, 105
Sparisjóður vélstjóra,
Borgartúni 18, 105
Öiyrkjabandalag íslands,
Hátúni 10, 105
Sinfóníuhljómsveit
íslands, Háskólabíó
v/Hagatorg, 107
Vesturbæjarapótek,
Melhaga 20-22, 107
DHL hraðflutningar hf,
Skeifunni 7, 108
Ferðafélag íslands,
Mörkinní 6, 108
lcepack - íslenska
pökkunarfélagið hf,
Armúla 38, 108
Skóræktarfélag
Reykjavíkur,
Fossvogsblettti 1, 108
Farmasía hf, heildverslun,
Stangarhyl 3, 110
ísefhi, Bíldshöföa 18, 112
íslenskir aðalverktakar
sf, Höíöabakka 9, 112
Marel hf, Höíöabakka 9, 112
Vatnsveita Reykjavíkur,
Breiðhöföa 13, 112
Reiknistofa bankanna,
Kalkofnsvegi 1, 150
Seðlabanki íslands,
Kalkofnsvegi 1, 150
Iðnlánasjóður, Ármúla 13a,
155
Rópavogur
G. Ben-Edda hf. prentstofa,
Smiöjuvegi 3b, 200
ísfískur hf. Hafnarbraut 27,
200
Kópavogskaupstaður,
Fannborg 2, 200
Niðursuðuverksmiðjan
ORA hf, Vesturvör 12, 200
Tíafnarfjörður
Góa hf - Linda hf,
Bæjarhrauní 24, 220
Hafnarfjarðarbær,
Strandgötu 6, 220
Hrafnista - DAS, Hafnarfirði,
220
Hvalur hf, Reykjavíkurvegi
48, 220
íshestar-íslenskar
hestaferðír hf, Bæjarhrauni
2, 220
Sjávarfískur hf, Melabraut
17,220
Keílavíh
Fiskverkun Jóhannesar
Jóh. hf, Víkurbraut 6-8,
230
Flatkökugerð Suðumesja,
Tjarnargötu 31a, 230
Flughótel Keflavík,
Hafnargötu 57, 230
Sjúkrahús Suðurnesja,
Skólavegi 8, 230
Sparisjóðurinn í Kefíavik,
Tjamargötu 12, 230
Fíjarðvíh
Hitaveita Suðurnesja,
Brekkustíg 36, 260
Stapaprent hf, Brekkustíg
39, 260
nfosfollsbær
Eico hf, Urðarholti 4, 270