Christmas in Iceland

Dear friends,

Now, the 1st day of December is tomorrow and then we can open the first window of the X-mas calendar. We got "Happaþrennudagatal" that means that it is some kind of lottery and I can win money. If I win I will put my money into the bank. If it is a lot I might give my sister and her husband a bit, they need it. On each day until the 24th I open up one window. I would also like to have calendar that has chokolate in it. I look very much forward to X-mas because then I get gifts and can spend time with my family. The X-mas starts on the 24th of December at six o'clock.

Bless Gísli Tryggvi

A Special Season Under the Northern Lights

Ithas been unusually warm, so there is no snow and the earth isn't frozen. During this time of year it get's darker and darker you go to work in the dark and you come home in the dark. Somehow it seems that one forgets how the home looks from outside. Since there is no snow everything is much darker than usual, the snow lights up the ground and glitters, the northern lights change the sky to magnificient art with glittering stars, dancing cloths in the sky, yellow, white, violet, pink, green, and the moon shines like the lord of the sky. The sea can get very still on Eyjafjörður (The fjord of islands) and then if the snow is the mountains are mirrored in the sea as well as the stars, moon and the northern lights.

But now, it is just dark, cloudes in the sky, and more and more dark. We though see a little bit of the sun each day but in our cottage the sun has gone and will come back at January 21st, in Olafsfjordur where we where yesterday it will come close to the mid of February. Our cottage is in a valley whith high mountains and Olafsfjordur is a fjord out of our fjord but smaller with as high mountains so the sun can't peak in. In the dark there are some lights but all of a sudden new lights start to appear, at the streets in the shop windows and you feel that everything is getting brighter and brighter.

The advent is coming. Today is the first Sunday of advent and that means that we take the advent decoration with the 4 candles and light up the first candle. Just three more Sundays to X-mas. Childrens calendars starts appearing on the walls. Somehow everything changes. Christmas lights in homes, not much but little light here another there. So many jewis lights with seven electric candles. Still very few Icelanders are Jewish but they treasure these lights. Somehow the world gets brighter, the winter isn't so dark and some excitement starts building up. Although you aren't excited as when you where a child, for the gifts and candy, something special is about to happen. And it touches your soul.

Kaer kvedja

Lara

Read stories, poems, sample recipies and more at the 6th class school in Barnskoli Vestmannaeyja, Iceland.

In Iceland, 13 santas visit the children during the holiday season. Learn about Stekkjarstaur -- or iron legs -- who is the strongest of all the santas. And then watch the web site grow as the children tell us about the other santas who visit them during the holiday season.

Snow --Iceland has lots of snow. So, it shouldn't be surprising when we also find nine year old children writing great stories and poems about snow.

Tell us about your holiday traditions. Write us a poem about snow, visiting with your family or whatever else about the season that inspires you. What are your wishes for the New Year?

Write us and we'll post your words on our Kidwriters web.