Reykjavík Grapevine


Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.04.2017, Blaðsíða 16

Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.04.2017, Blaðsíða 16
The First Day Of Summer Is Here Or didn't you notice? Words: Nanna Arnadottir Photo: Art Bicnick NEWS Much like the economy and religion, the arbitrary First Day of Summer celebrated in Iceland is one part optimism and three parts resigned acceptance. We all come together and agree that April 20 is the first day of summer, despite what reality might prove to the contrary. For many Iceland- ers, it's also a day that carries with it the smell of sweet nostalgia. According to folksy Icelan- dic wisdom, if the first day of summer is especially cold, then winter and summer have "fro- zen together." Apparently this is seen as a sign of a warm sum- mer to come, but we Iceland- ers have been burned too many times now to fall for that old tale. So what does the first day of summer mean to us now? The Grapevine asked a few locals for their thoughts: Kolbrún Kristín Karlsdóttir The first day of summer for me is when my mentality gets a fix after the long dark months of winter. By this time the winter should be be- hind us—in theory—and my men- tality shifts to looking forward to the bright summer nights ahead. Also, the first day of summer is about planning summer gifts, like am I going get my daughter a sum- mery gift like a ball or summer hat or something like that? That sort of thing. Árni Leósson When I was a kid, the first day of summer meant the excitement of hearing the Summer Parade shuf- fling down my street with a brass band and the local scouts hold- ing the national flag and jump- ing outside to join them. So in my memory it was always sunny and warm on the first day of summer and lots of fun and games. The reality is, however, that the first day of summer is basi- cally celebrated during winter here in Iceland. It's not like we are in denial about that but it is a very strange date to pick for this particular day. It is even a stretch calling it the first day of spring. Ingveldur Lára Þórðardóttir First day of summer for me will always be connected to a smell and that smell is connected to my childhood. It's the smell of a brand new brown “brennibolti.” It's a ball used to play brennó, an Icelandic version of dodgeball. My siblings and I always got summer gifts on the first day of summer, be it snowing or not, and usually the gifts would force us to go out and play. It was pretty much a given that one of us would get that brown little ball that had that dry rubbery smell of summer. They had these crevices in them that made them perfect for co- louring and decorating. You made your own personal artwork out of your ball. I loved those balls. Hated the game, but loved those balls. Katrín Þ. Hjorth Þórðardóttir The first day of summer was al- most the best day of every year growing up. We'd get a gift, usually an outdoor toy like a skip rope, hula hoops or a brown brennibolti. The brennibolti balls were always the best. Back then there weren't, you know, Happy Meals and little plas- tic toys everywhere like these days. It was a real novelty to get a gift, even if you couldn't use it for many months because of bad weather. With my kids now, on the first day of summer, since they've got so many toys already all they ask for is quality time with me instead! Matthias Arni Ingimarsson For me, the first day of summer means at least one more day of snow. Inga Rós Antoníusdóttir Considering that the first day of summer often goes hand in hand with snow or sleet, I definitely don't connect it to a real summer in any way. As a kid I remember getting summer gifts, usually a new summer outfit or an outdoor toy to play with. The neighbour- hood would be filled with kids in T-shirts and denim jackets, jump- ing rope and playing ball with their lips turned blue in the freezing cold. It's quite amazing that a whole nation can be tricked into believ- ing that the seasons have changed because of a date marked on the calendar. Now, as a parent myself, I buy my kids small gifts, tokens of summer, to celebrate a long, fun tradition. But I still yell at them when they go out the door to re- member their jackets. After all, it's still winter. 16 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 06 — 2017 Summer, schmummer. We don't like sun anyway. BRYGGJAN BRUGGHÚS * GRANDAGARÐI 8 101 REYKJAVÍK 00354 456 4040 * WWW.BRYGGJANBRUGGHUS.IS DAILY TOURS ON THE HOUR BETWEEN 13-22 BEER TOUR 2O - 30 MIN TOUR INCLUDING A 3 OR 6 BEER FLIGHT MENU FROM OUR MICRO BREWERY. 2.900/5.400 KR. DOCKSIDE BREWERY & BISTRO BISTRO 11.30-23.00 JAZZ EVERY SUNDAY AT 20.00
Blaðsíða 1
Blaðsíða 2
Blaðsíða 3
Blaðsíða 4
Blaðsíða 5
Blaðsíða 6
Blaðsíða 7
Blaðsíða 8
Blaðsíða 9
Blaðsíða 10
Blaðsíða 11
Blaðsíða 12
Blaðsíða 13
Blaðsíða 14
Blaðsíða 15
Blaðsíða 16
Blaðsíða 17
Blaðsíða 18
Blaðsíða 19
Blaðsíða 20
Blaðsíða 21
Blaðsíða 22
Blaðsíða 23
Blaðsíða 24
Blaðsíða 25
Blaðsíða 26
Blaðsíða 27
Blaðsíða 28
Blaðsíða 29
Blaðsíða 30
Blaðsíða 31
Blaðsíða 32
Blaðsíða 33
Blaðsíða 34
Blaðsíða 35
Blaðsíða 36
Blaðsíða 37
Blaðsíða 38
Blaðsíða 39
Blaðsíða 40
Blaðsíða 41
Blaðsíða 42
Blaðsíða 43
Blaðsíða 44
Blaðsíða 45
Blaðsíða 46
Blaðsíða 47
Blaðsíða 48
Blaðsíða 49
Blaðsíða 50
Blaðsíða 51
Blaðsíða 52
Blaðsíða 53
Blaðsíða 54
Blaðsíða 55
Blaðsíða 56

x

Reykjavík Grapevine

Beinir tenglar

Ef þú vilt tengja á þennan titil, vinsamlegast notaðu þessa tengla:

Tengja á þennan titil: Reykjavík Grapevine
https://timarit.is/publication/943

Tengja á þetta tölublað:

Tengja á þessa síðu:

Tengja á þessa grein:

Vinsamlegast ekki tengja beint á myndir eða PDF skjöl á Tímarit.is þar sem slíkar slóðir geta breyst án fyrirvara. Notið slóðirnar hér fyrir ofan til að tengja á vefinn.