Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.07.2016, Side 45

Life 45The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 9 — 2016
Holy Solstice,
Please Let
Us Sleep
Words GEIDI RAUD,
KELLEY REES,
ISAAC WÜRMANN
Photo ART BICNICK
The Reykjavik
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Iceland is known for its midnight
sun—as early as May and as late
as August, Iceland’s nights are as
bright as its days. But beyond the
initial shock of nearly 24 hours of
daylight, there are some surpris-
ing sides of the solstice in Iceland,
such as its folklore, the difficulties
it causes when it comes to sleep-
ing, and the challenges it presents
to Muslims fasting for Ramadan.
The Folklore Behind
Solstice
Unlike its brethren in Norway and
Denmark, the island nation doesn’t
celebrate Summer Solstice with
blazing bonfires or much else in
the way of festivities, says Dr. Terry
Gunnell, Professor in Folkloris-
tics at the University of Iceland.
There is some discussion concern-
ing midsummer in the King’s Saga
but it’s thought that some time ago
Norway changed the old pagan fes-
tivals to the current St. John’s Eve
celebrations. However, while Nor-
way’s St. John’s Eve merry-making
involves roaring bonfires, people
in Iceland just didn’t have the wood
to burn.
“In Iceland, there are some sto-
ries about rolling naked in the dew
in the morning of the Midsum-
mer,” says Terry. “This idea that
everything is renewed.” Terry also
speaks of beliefs that there are
powerful ties to good luck during
the summer solstice and that it is
a particularly good time to collect
herbs, when still wet with mid-
summer dew.
Around this period is when
Alþingi, Iceland’s national parlia-
ment, would open. Terry says it is
likely that if there were midsum-
mer festivities, they would have
blended with the activities sur-
rounding Alþing’s commence-
ment.
A Guide To Getting A
Good Sleep
Psychologist Erla Björnsdóttir, who
has a PhD in biomedical sciences,
is helping people to get some sleep
during the Iceland’s bright sum-
mer nights. She is counselling both
Icelanders and foreigners who have
trouble sleeping.
While most Icelanders have ad-
justed to it and actually enjoy the
sunny days (and nights) because
of the harsh winters (when there
is only around four or five hours
of effective daylight per 24 hours),
for tourists it might not be so en-
joyable. Not getting good quality
sleep at nights can cause insomnia,
excessive daytime sleepiness, anxi-
ety and depression. “Many foreign-
ers come to my clinic to get help
because they are having problems
with sleeping. There are people
from Portugal, Spain, the United
States, Canada, Scandinavia, Mex-
ico etc,” Erla says.
In most hotels the windows al-
ready have thick curtains. But if
not, you can always ask staff for
better curtains, which don’t let the
brightness in.
If the curtains don’t do the job,
buy yourself a sleeping mask or
wear dark sunglasses. Yes, put on
your sunglasses in bed and pretend
that you’re on the beach. “You will
look stupid but it really helps to fall
asleep. Some tourists really need to
use fake darkness,” confirms Erla.
Eat healthy and avoid consum-
ing any alcohol and caffeine before
going to sleep, and remember to
relax and take it easy! “It’s really
important not to take a long walk
or run 10 kilometres before going
to bed,” adds Erla.
Try to keep a regular sleep
schedule and go to sleep and wake
up at the same time every day. That
includes weekends.
Ramadan Under The
Midnight Sun
Muslims living in Iceland have
some of the longest fasting times
in the world this year, as Rama-
dan falls over the summer solstice.
Ramadan is a month-long period
when Muslims observe a fast of
food and water during daylight
hours, and only break their fast
when the sun goes down.
In a country such as Iceland,
when the sun barely goes below the
horizon during the summer, Mus-
lims have only a few hours to break
their fast. Rabia Yasmin Khosa, a
Muslim from Pakistan who is ob-
serving her second Ramadan in
Reykjavík, says on average they be-
gin their fast at 2:20 in the morn-
ing, and break their fast at 11:50 at
night.
“During this two and a half hour
duration we have to eat and offer
three prayers,” Rabia says.
She adds that for Muslims, fast-
ing during Ramadan is to submit
yourself to the will of God. Fasting
also helps people experience the
hunger of the poor, she says: “Un-
less you experience something like
that for yourself, you can’t really
empathize.”
This year, Ramadan will end
on July 5, when the sun will set
in Reykjavík at 11:47 before rising
again a few short hours later at 3:17.
THE INTERNATIONAL ORGAN SUMMER
IN HALLGRÍMSKIRKJA 2016
June 18 – August 21
Hallgrimskirkja's Friends of the Arts Society 34th season
23. 6. Guðmundur Sigurðsson,
Hafnarfjörður Church
30. 6. Hörður Áskelsson, Hallgrímskirkja
7. 7. Sigrún Magna Þórsteinsdóttir,
Akureyri Church
14. 7. Lára Bryndís Eggertsdóttir
organ, Iceland, and Dorothee
Höjland saxophone, Denmark.
21. 7. Jón Bjarnason, Skálholt
Cathedral
28. 7. Larry Allen organ and Scott Bell
oboe, USA
4. 8. Friðrik Vignir Stefánsson,
Seltjarnarnes Church
11. 8. Hörður Áskelsson Hallgrímskirkja and
Sigríður Ósk Kristjánsdóttir alto.
18. 8. Kári Allansson, Háteigur Church,
Reykjavík
Lunchtime concerts
on Thursdays at 12 noon
In cooperation with
Icelandic Organist Association
Lunchtime concerts
on Wednesdays at 12 noon
Schola cantorum
Hallgrimskirkja Chamber Choir
18. 6. 12 noon Thomas Ospital, St. Eustache,
& 19. 6. 5 pm Paris, France.
25. 6. 12 noon Björn Steinar Sólbergsson,
& 26. 6. 5 pm Hallgrímskirkja
2. 7. 12 noon Leo van Doesselaer
& 3. 7. 5 pm concert organist, The Netherlands
9. 7. 12 noon Kári Þormar, Dómkirkjan, Reykjavík
& 10. 7. 5 pm
16. 7. 12 noon Katelyn Emerson, concert organist,
& 17. 7. 5 pm USA
23. 7. 12 noon Ligita Sneibe, concert organist,
& 24. 7. 5 pm Latvia
30. 7. 12 noon Douglas Cleveland,
& 31. 7. 5 pm Plymouth Church, Seattle, USA
6. 8. 12 noon Mattias Wager, Storkyrkan,
& 7. 8. 5 pm Stockholm, Sweden
13. 8. 12 noon Christoph Schöner, Michaeliskirche,
& 14. 8. 5 pm Hamburg
20. 8. 12 noon James McVinnie, concert organist,
& 21. 8. 5 pm London
Weekend concerts
Saturday at 12 noon and Sunday at 5 pm
with international concert organists