Lögberg-Heimskringla - 16.12.1994, Blaðsíða 26

26 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 16. desember 1994
Ihvistmas fHemovíes of Vj celand
I? Conl'd.
For all we knew Grýla herself
might live in Sandafell. The
stories of her and her folks
were told every December
both at home and in school.
We lcnew Grýla Rhymes,
which vividly described her
lifestyle. It all seemed to fit so
well in with the surroundings
and even though we knew the
stories were tall tales, it was
better to take no risks and
help out before Christmas
and be on our best behaviour.
The first sign of Christmas
came with the baking of the
Christmas cookies, which my
mother and grandmother did
around the middle of
December. There were vanilla
circles, half moons, jewish
cookies, pepper cookies -
until a whole line of tins
formed on the pantry shelf.
Then there was the smell of
apples and oranges in the
stores. Fresh fruits were only
available before Christmas
and then rationed - one box
to a family.
There were few Christmas
decorations, but the store
windows would display some
of the new books, both poetry
and prose, which came on the
market before Christmas, as
well as a few toys and red and
white candles placed in can-
dlesticks. To me this was
beautiful and the excitement
for me and my sister was as
great as that of children
nowadays looking in the most
decorated window in Win-
nipeg. My mother would also
make us Christmas dresses.
The only clothing available in
the Co-Op store, were work
clothes other clothes were
either made at home or by the
seamstress. I never felt lack-
ing in this way though, as my
mother would make us beau-
tiful dresses from velvet and
frills.
I went to a two room
school, the younger children
in one, the older in the other.
There was no auditorium for
a Christmas concert. Our
teacher, who wore the
Icelandic National Dress
every day of the year, allowed
us to make Christmas cards
while she read us a Christmas
story and we sang many
Christmas carols and Grýla
and Jólasveinar songs on the
last day of school before
Christmas.
On Þorláksmessa, Decem-
ber 23, the hangikjöt was
cooked which was used for
the Christmas Day meal,
along with svið (singed sheep
heads) pickled meats, mashed
turnips, potatoes in white
sauce and green peas as well
as jellies and jams. EarLy on
the 24th mý mother would go
upstairs and decorate the
“tree” and place the gifts
under it along with special
bags filled with candy for
each family member. After
this the upstairs was off limits
to us until the evening. The
Christmas tree was a wooden
tree, painted green, with loose
branches and stand. My
mother would then wrap the
brances with crepe paper
which was cut with fringes.
Small Icelandic flags on a
string were then draped over
the branches and small red
and gold balls hung on the
tree. Last of all metal candle
holders were clipped on the
ends of the branches and real
candles inserted. After the
evening meal we would go
upstairs and sit around the
tree while mother read the
Continued on Page 27
Flugfélagið Atlanta hf,
Þverholti 3, 270
íslenskur textíliðnaður
hf# Álafossvegi 40a, 270
ffhranes
Byggðasafn Akraness og
nærsveita, Göröum, 300
Einarsbúð, Skagabraut 9-11,
300
Haraldur Böðvarsson hf,
Bárugötu 8-10, 300
Borgarnes
Borgarbyggð, Borgarbraut
11, 310
Borgarverk hf# Sólbakka
17-19, 310
Sparisjóður Myrarsyslu,
Borgarbraut 14, 310
Álftaneshreppur. Álflártun-
gukoti, 311
Hvítársíðuhreppur,
Sámsstöðum, 311
Lundareykjadalshreppur.
Brennu, 311
Skorradalshreppur,
Grund, 311
Ólafsvíh
Hótel Búðir hf# Búðum, 355
ásaíjörður
ísfang. útflutningsfélag,
Suðurgötu, 400
Kjölur hf# Uröarvegi 37, 400
Rorðuríjörður
Árneshreppur, Norðurfiröi,
524
I?vammsTangi
Kaupfélag Vestur-
Húnvetninga, Strandgötu
1, 530
INetagerð Vestfjarða,
Hvammstangabraut 13, 530
Blönduós
Blönduskálinn Húni#
Hnjúkabyggð 34, 540
Kaupfélag Húnvetninga,
Húnabraut 4, 540
Bólstaðarhiiðarhreppur,
Gíli, 541
Shagasirönd
Skagahreppur, Tjöm, 545
Sauðárhróhur
Héraðsnefnd
Skagfirðinga,
Sæmundargötu 8, 550
Kaupfélag Skagfirðinga,
Ártorgi 1, 550
Tjoísós
Hofshreppur, Suöurbraut
12,565
Siglufjörður
Þormóður Rammi hf#
Aðalgötu 10, 580
fthureyri
Akureyrarkaupstaður.
Geislagötu 9, 600
Gullsmiðir Sigtryggur &
Pétur# Brekkugötu 5, 600
Hita~ og vatnsveita
Akureyrar. Rangárvöllum,
600
Rafveita Akureyrar,
Þórsstíg 4, 600
Arnarneshreppur,
Ásgarði, Hjalteyri, 601
Skriðuhreppur,
Myrkárbakki, 601
Öxnadalshreppur,
Auðnum, 601
Ólsfsfjörður
Magnús Gamalíelsson hf#
Hombrekkuvegí 3, 625
Ijírísey
Hríseyjarhreppur, Ráöhús-
inu, 630
Ijúsavíh
Bilaleiga Húsavíkur,
Garðarsbraut 66, 640
Húsavikurkaupstaður,
Ketilsbraut 9, 640
Reykjahreppur,
Skógum 2, 641
Laugar
Reykdælahreppur,
Kjama, 650
Vopnafjörður
Hótel Tangi,
Hafnarbyggö 17, 690
Mjólkursamlag
Vopnfirðinga,
Hafnarbyggð 6, 690
EgilssTaðir
Hitaveita Egilsstaða og
Fella, Heimatúni 6, 700
Hótel Valaskjálf,
Skógarlöndum, 700
Hlíðarhreppur,
Torfastöðum, 701
Jökuldalshreppur#
Hvanná 2, 701
Eshifjörður
Friðþjófur hf#
Steinholtsvegi 7, 735
Sreiðdalsvíh
Sérleyfisbílar Suðurfjarða
hf# Sólheimum 6, 760
Bjúpivogur
Hótel Framtíð hf#
Vogalandi 4, 765
Selfoss
Höfh ~ Þríhyrningur,
Tryggvatorgi 1, 800
Biskupstungnahreppur,
Aratungu,801
Gnúpverjahreppur,
Þrándarlundi, 801
Grafningshreppur,
Bildsfelli, 801
Skeiðahreppur, Löngumyri,
Skeiðahreppi, 801
LaugarvaTn
Laugardalshreppur,
Laugarvatni Reykjum, 840
Tjvolsvöllur
Vestur-Landeyjahreppur,
Bergþórshvoli, 861
VcsTmannacyjar
Sparisjóður
Vestmannaeyja,
Bárustíg 15, 900
Vestmannaeyja-