The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.2003, Page 6

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 57 #4
Editorial
by Tim Arnason
The North American Icelandic com-
munity celebrates our culture and heritage
in many ways; none more than the
Icelandic Festival of Manitoba—
Islendingadagurinn which will present its
114th annual event on August 2, 3 and 4;
2003 in Gimli.
Islendingadagurinn is the second old-
est continuous ethnic festival in North
America. The first Icelandic festival was
held in Milwaukee in 1874. The first
Icelandic festival in Manitoba was held in
Winnipeg in 1890; and was held there
annually until 1931; and since 1932 has
been held in Gimli. It is generally regarded
as the pinnacle event in the North
American Icelandic community.
Within a province that celebrates
countless summer festivals, many of which
have come and gone, it is worthwhile to
pause and comment on why our festival is
so successful and why it has stood the test
of time. Why have we been able to flourish
for so long? What sets us apart from so
many other events? I would like to com-
ment on what I see as some of the reasons
that contribute to our success.
We are a cultural festival. While we
offer entertainment to all ages, in a very
accessible manner, our focus remains as a
celebration of our culture and heritage.
This commitment is articulated through
our mandate which reads:
“To preserve and promote the
Icelandic culture and to bring together peo-
ple of Icelandic descent to celebrate the
accomplishments of the Icelandic settle-
ments in Canada”
We celebrate our culture in many ways
within the Festival, all with the common
thread of the cultural ties that exist with
Iceland.
Our Fjallkona is perhaps the most
important symbol of Icelandic heritage and
culture. It is the power of our homeland
that draws us together and the Fjallkona
represents our ancestral home. She is the
key part of our Traditional Program, and is
featured not only at the Icelandic Festival
of Manitoba, but at many other Icelandic
Festivals throughout North America. This
tradition has come full circle and Iceland
has adopted the Fjallkona tradition for
their Independence Day ceremonies. A
young actress is selected to be the Fjallkona
to recite poetry as part of the ceremonies
and this in itself is symbolic of the benefit
of the ties that exist between our countries.
Our Traditional Program has
remained relatively unchanged throughout
the history of the festival, unlike many
other features of the festival that have
changed with the times. This is by intent.
Our program features the Fjallkona
Address, Toasts to Canada and Iceland,
greetings from various dignitaries as well as
poetry readings, singing and story telling
which are so much a part of our rich her-
itage.
Amma’s Kitchen, Culture and
Heritage Pavilion, Thingvellir Nyja Island,
cultural music, drama and poetry presenta-
tions are all further examples of the focus
on our culture. These events are offered
every year.
We are also proud to offer many pre-
sentations from performers who travel here
from Iceland and it is important to note
that we are only able to do this with the
tremendous help we receive from the
Government of Iceland, as well as through
the assistance of sponsoring bodies within
Iceland who also recognize the importance
of our cultural exchanges.
Glancing back to Islendingadagurinn
2002 will give very vibrant examples of the
performers who came from Iceland and
who added so much to our Festival.