Atlantica - 01.11.2000, Page 33

A T L A N T I C A 31
T
he holidays are for get-togethers, for families to
huddle around fires, for lazy afternoons, for vig-
orous walks, for white-outs, snow blizzards and
calm starry skies. And then there are some of us who
like to eat our way through the festivities.
Long gone are the days of serious food shortages in
Iceland where the impoverished inhabitants were
more often than not near the brink of starvation.
Abundance has replaced austerity, and in recent years
pre-Christmas buffets have become enormously pop-
ular with practically the entire population gorging on
incredible treats – before the lavish holiday dinners
actually begin. Many of the food items which have
become a permanent fixture on the table, such as
smoked salmon, succulent ham and roasted turkey
with all the trimmings, resemble those of the neigh-
bouring countries. Yet there are distinctive differences,
A taste of tradition
The unmistakable smell of gingerbread cookies,
pine needles and orange rind usually indicates
the arrival of the holidays. On this front
Icelanders go beyond the conventional, and
some would even say “it is beginning
to stink a lot like Christmas”.
By Margrét Björgúlfsdóttir Photos Áslaug Snorradóttir and Páll Stefánsson
A crowd gathers for the annual lighting of
the Norwegian Christmas tree
in Parliament square.
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