Atlantica - 01.12.2004, Page 52

Yule Lads – The Icelandic version of Santa Claus, and
we have thirteen of them (as mentioned above). In older
times, these strange characters had a mischievous and
thieving nature. In the thirteen nights before Christmas,
each one of them would sneak down from the mountains
to steal his own special fancy (such as sausages, skyr or
candles). Nowadays each of them brings a night-time gift
for good children, and a potato for naughty ones.
Glögg – The Icelandic version of mulled wine. Red wine,
a heady mix of cloves, cinnamon and ginger and a splash
of Brennivín. Tastes like Christmas and makes you all
warm inside.
Darkness – The almost 24-hour December darkness of
the far north makes everything more cosy at Christmas. It
means you can keep candles lit at all hours and it’s also
a great excuse to stay in bed.
Electric candelabras- Winter tourists often come to the
conclusion that all Icelanders are Jewish due to the
menorah-style electric candelabras in every window.
They have nothing to do with Judaism and are just one
those quirky Icelandic Christmas traditions.
Hangikjöt and uppstúfur - The peasant’s Christmas dinner
and still a traditional favourite meal for those festive days.
Hangikjöt is tender, smoked lamb, served cold (a little like
ham) with a sauce called “uppstúfur” – an aquired taste
consisting of white béchamel sauce, canned green peas
and boiled potatoes.
Reindeer – Taking over from Ptarmigan as the traditional
Christmas Eve meal since a hunting ban was put on the
latter. Reindeer is beautifully tender meat, delicately
perfumed with mountain herbs. Often served with the
traditional accompaniment of sugared potatoes, red cab-
bage and green peas.
50 A T L AN T I C A
Breakfast in bed. Not a bad way to start the day. The owners of Iceland Princess
Hotel agree, which is why guests wake up each morning with breakfast served to
their room.
“We pamper our guests,” says Arnar Thor Vidarsson, manager of Iceland Princess
Hotel, a luxury, six-room hotel located in downtown Reykjavík.
The rooms at Iceland Princess Hotel are getaways in themselves. Catering to “high-
end” customers, the hotel offers spacious suites complete with indirect lighting, oak
kitchens, jacuzzis and king-sized beds. They’re so luxurious you won’t want to leave.
But don’t stay in the room. There’s too much to do here, and Iceland Princess Hotel
can help organize your leisure time with glacial trips, highland excursions, fishing
outings, whale-watching trips or basic sightseeing.
“Because we do most of the booking personally, mostly through the Internet, not
through travel agencies, we know what the customer wants before they arrive, so
we can help plan their stay. Personal service is what we provide – VIP service,” says
Vidarsson.
Iceland Princess Hotel, Tungata 34, 101 Reykjavik, (+354) 534 0444 or
log on to www.icelandprincess.com
Iceland Princess Hotel
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We sneer at those who think Santa Claus lives in Finland. Sure, those Finns may have
snow and reindeer, but we break all records with our thirteen santas. Here’s a list of
why Iceland is THE Christmas country. AMB
Dummy’s Guide to Icelandic Christmas
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