Reykjavík Grapevine - feb. 2020, Blaðsíða 10

Reykjavík Grapevine - feb. 2020, Blaðsíða 10
10 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 02— 2020 Town Celebrates First Day Of Sunli!ht The gods really work in mysterious ways On January 28th, RÚV reported that the inhabitants of Siglu!ör"ur, on Iceland’s north coast, celebrated a very special day: the return of sunlight. A long period of darkness It’s no secret that Icelandic winters are characterised by long periods of darkness, but some places fare better than others. Icelanders who live in Reykjavík, for example, are spared the worst of it, as the city is in the southwest and the landscape to the south is relatively flat. Further north, especially for towns flanked by mountains to the south, such as Siglu!ör"ur, they receive only ambient sunlight for much of the winter. In fact, today marks the first day since mid- November that Siglu!ör"ur residents have been able to enjoy direct sunlight. Bake-off The occasion is marked by a massive pancake bake-o#, where some 2,000 Icelandic pancakes are consumed. School children were permitted to go on a guided walk to enjoy the sun’s rays, culminating in a sing-along by the local church. It’s a touching moment, and hopefully one that reminds people that we should be grateful for all the little things that make life worth living, even those things we o$en take for granted, like sunlight. Ásatrú Pagans received aid from an unexpected source. Religious lead- ers in Thailand donated thousands of euros toward the construction of their temple. “The gods are doing their work in a mysterious and inspiring way,” Pagan Chief Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson told Vísir. The group plans to begin crowdfunding later this year to finish construction. They hope to be a great attraction to visitors from abroad who are interested in ancient Norse culture. “I have always said this will be one of the major buildings in Reykjavík when it is finished,” Hilmar said. One of Ó"in’s names The location of the temple was provided by the City of Reykjavík and, as Hilmar explains, is quite perfect. “We were originally supposed to be in Leynim!ri, but that was not possi- ble because of the airport. Then Vilhjálmur "órmundur Vilhjálmsson descended on this location, which he said was really perfect. Here are all the names which are connected to Ásatrú. We have Hrafnabjörg right below us. We have Hangakletta, which is now one of the names of Ó#in…So I think this is divine providence.” Built with their own money The banking collapse also delayed construction. The group had hoped to begin construction in 2010 or 2011, but it did not begin until 2017. Also, the temple was initially set to cost 127 million ISK, but today it is valued at over 300 million ISK—the project has been on hold since last year due to lack of funding. Fortunately, the group has not borrowed any money from the bank. “We have built with our own money,” Hilmar explains; “never borrowed.” Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photo: CDC/Dr. Fred Murphy While there are no reported cases of coronavirus in Iceland, the Depart- ment of Civil Protection and Emer- gency Management has issued a “state of uncertainty” over the situ- ation. “While there are no suspected cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Iceland, the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, in association with the Directorate of Health, has declared an uncertainty phase based on risk assessments from The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC),” they state in part. “‘Uncer- tainty phase’ is characterized by an indication of event that could pose a health- or security threat to people, communities or the environment. Rel- evant authorities are closely coordi- nating the response and monitoring the situation.” To this end, Civil Protection is work- ing closely with the police and the Directorate of Health to monitor the situation more closely. “State Of Uncertainty” Issued Over Coronavirus State of uncertainty issued in Iceland Ásatrú Pa!ans Receive Forei!n Aid The gods work in mysterious ways Words: Sam O’Donnell Photo: Art Bicnick Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photo: Art Bicnick Coming soon: Divine Providence News Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Iceland and the United Kingdom have signed a joint agreement that will ensure all the European Economic Area (EEA) rights and privileges of citizens of both countries currently enjoy until at least the end of 2020, an announcement from Iceland’s Minis- try of Foreign Affairs reports. Brexit cause for concern Though Brexit became official at 11 p.m. GMT on January 31st, the UK will remain within the EU market until the end of 2020. While Iceland is not in the EU, it is in the EEA, and Brexit has been a cause for concern amongst Iceland- ers living in the UK and Brits living in Iceland. Citizen not affected by Brexit Minister of Foreign Affairs Gu#lau- gur "ór "ór#arson signed an agree- ment with London in January that will ensure that citizens of these countries will not be affected by Brexit, provided they have moved from one country to the other before the end of 2020. Continue our close relationship Furthermore, Iceland and the UK will begin trade negotiations to prepare for when Britain will be officially out of the EU market at the end of this year. The stated goal of this agreement is “to continue our close relationship now and in the future, and to take the best advantage of the opportunities that will arise.” Iceland And Britain Si!n A!reement, Ensurin! Pre-Brexit Ri!hts Until End Of 2020 The gods still work in mysterious ways Coming soon: Trade Negotiations Coming soon: Sun, glorious sun!

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