Lögberg-Heimskringla - 20.04.2001, Page 1

eek at a glance
A visit to Vatnabyggð
Svavar Gestsson and Guðrún Ágústs-
dóttir maintain a busy “tour” schedule
Gimli artist in lceland
A look at Don Martin’s career in
Canada, and where he’s headed next
Friday 20 April 2001 • Number 13 / Föstudagur 20. apríl 2001 • Númer 13
Lögberg
Lögberg stofnað 14. janúar 1888
Heimskringla stofnað 9. september 1886
Sameinuð 20. ágúst 1959
Heimskringla
The Icelandic Weekly
www.logberg.com
Registration no. 08000
Agreement no. 1402161
115th year /115. Árgangur
ISSN 0047-4967
Fréttir • News
New ambassador
presents credentials
Hjálmar Waag Hannessori.
Ambassador Hjálmar Waag
Hannesson presented his
letter of credence to
Governor General Adrienne
Clarkson in Ottawa on April 9,
2001. Hjálmar is the first Icelandic
ambassador to be posted in Ottawa.
Hjálmar W. Hannesson has been
associated with Iceland’s Ministry
of Foreign Affairs since January
1976. In September 1989 he began
service as Ambassador to the
Federal Republic of Germany and
simultaneously tó Switzerland,
Austria and Greece, with residence
in Bonn. In 1990 Hungary and
Liechtenstein were added to his
responsibilities.
In January 1995 he was appoint-
ed Ambassador to the People’s
Republic of China, the first Icelandic
Ambassador to reside in Beijing.
Simultaneously he served Japan, the
Republic of Korea, Vietnam,
Indonesia, Thailand, and the
Democratic Republic of Korea.
In March 1998 he retumed to
Iceland and served in an ambassado-
rial capacity to the Ministry, and
was appointed Ambassador to the
Holy See in May of 1999.
Now he begins with a new
country on yet another continent.
We look forward to meeting with
him at the INL Convention in
Vancouver.
Lillian Vilborg
WlNNIPEG, MB
IN THE OLD ICELANDIC CALENDAR
there were two seasons—summer
and winter. We’ve just reached the
end of the last month of winter,
Einmánaður, and on Thursday April
19, the month Harpa begins, the First
Day of Summer is, and the summer sea-
son and the new year begin.
Sumardagurinn fyrsti was and is a
special day in Iceland. For one, it was
known also as yngismeyjardagur or
Maiden’s Day, when young men were
to be especially attentive to young
women. This complemented yngisman-
nadagur (Young Men’s Day), and these
two days performed the function of
Valentine’s Day, which was not known
to Icelandic lovers.
But Sumardagurinn Fyrsti was
especially devoted to children, who did
not have to work on this day. It was a
day for community gatherings and play
and gift giving. Until the nineteenth
century, Summer Gifts were still more
common than Christmas presents. Now
there are parades and open-air enter-
tainment in towns around the country,
organized especially for children. It is
Halladís Agnarsdóttir enjoys a sunny
summer day in Snœfellsnes. Phot»: D. Fuiier
. also an official flag day.
To welcome summer, the sheep and
other animals were let out to romp for a
few hours, and a symbolic spreading of
manure on the fields might be the only
work performed this day, which was a
general holiday. Mass was celebrated
on sumardagurinn fyrsti until 1744
when it was banned by royal edict.
If summer and winter “froze
together,” it was seen as a good omen.
To discover if there was frost the night
before, people left a dish of water oul in
a sheltered place. It was also tradition to
tell one’s fortune from the summer
moon. After seeing the first new moon
of summer, you had to remain silent.
The first words spoken to you might
indicate what was coming up for you in
the near future.
In Canada some communities still
celebrate Sumardagurinn fyrsti, as can
be seen from the Calendar of Events.
Mozart, in Vatnabyggð, continues an
almost century-long tradition of this
practice.
With information from High days
and holidays in Iceland, hy Árni
Björnsson (Reykjavík, Mál og Menning,
1995) and the INL calendar, 2001.
Velkominn til Kanada!
Eiður Guðnason appointed
Iceland’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs announced April 5, 2001
that Ambassador Eiður Guðnason
will be transferred to Winnipeg, Canada
in the capacity of Consul General as of
August 2001. Ambassador Guðnason’s
principal duties will be to further and
strengthen cultural relations between
Iceland and people of Icelandic descent
(West Icelanders) and to increase com-
mercial relations with the mid and west
provinces of Canada: Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British
Columbia.
Eiður, who has a BA in English
from the University of Iceland, is a cer-
tified translator and court interpreter in
English, and has also studied Political
Science at the University of Delaware.
He worked as a joumalist, editor, and
translator before entering politics. For
five years he was with the Social
Democratic daily, the Alþýðublaðið,
and then from 1967 to 1978 he was
chief translator, joumalist, and deputy
news editor with RÚV, Sjónvarpið,
Icelandic State Television.
In 1978 he was elected to the
Alþing for the Social Democratic Party.
Please see Velkominn on page 5
Visit us on the web at http://www.logberg.com