December at Landakotsskóli

Landakotsskóli
12. ožu 2017.
2 min čitanja

In the middle of December we had a red day and all met in the lunch hall were we sang songs and talked about Christmas in other countries of our friends.

During December we mingled with other classes and we made a handicraft together we made a felt ornaments, paper craft, clay star and a advent ring. And we in 2 year we made a holy play and performed in the Catholic Church witch is in the neighborhood. And we talked about our friends in the program when we made a felt ornament from our cones a gift from our friends.

The thirteenth, and last, day of Christmas is always the 6. of January.

In Icelandic folklore there is a lot of superstition surrounding New Year's night and the Thirteenth Night of Christmas; among others that on those nights cows talk the language of men, seals take off their skins and elves move house and visit patient people, giving them riches, if they silently sit all night at a crossroads. Festivities are held all over the country, with elf themed bonfies and more fireworks.

Þorrinn

You can find Thorri food in all grocery stores in Iceland during this month and in many restaurants as well.

It is believed that Þorri was probably the name of a winter spirit (a supernatural being), or a weather god. Public Þorrablót feasts were held in ceremonial fashion, but after the Christianisation of Iceland the tradition continued only in private homes. After Icelanders gained freedom of religion in the late 19th Century, public feasts started up again.

Today many Icelanders celebrate Þorri and big Þorrablót feasts are held all around the country. At these occasions traditional Icelandic food is served; the sort of food people used to eat every day, once upon a time. The only preserving methods available in the past were pickling, drying, salting or smoking food. The food is often served in wooden troughs, and old wooden containers still exist from the distant past. Among the delicacies eaten at Þorrablót are: pickled ram testicles, soured whale, sheep face, sheep face jelly, dried fish, smoked lamb, leaf bread and putrefied shark. Brennivín schnapps is often drunk with the shark.

We celebrate the Þorri in school, everyone wears a wool sweater to school and we looked at old things and toys and the children walked to our local food store to get some thorrafood.