The winter solstice is upon us once again, or if you prefer to call it the shortest day of the year. Others might even call it the first day of winter although technically it is half way through winter already. We now begin to tilt back toward the sun and the sunlight gets longer each day. I prefer to mark this day as the new year. I never liked the arbitrary 1 January at exactly 00:00 as the marker. The solstice is real and and of great importance to our ancient relatives.
Sunrise today in Reykjavík is at 11:23 and sunset at 15:30 (3:30 pm). In the northern West Fjords the sunrise is at 12:09 with sunset at 14:53 (2:53 pm). You can bet that they will be happy to finally see more sunlight in the coming days.
So, at 17:47 coordinated universal time give a thought to the thousands of generations that came before and marked this moment as the rebirth of mankind; the new year. To the folks in Iceland that is at 17:47/5:47PM and to those on the east coast of N.A. that moment is at 12:47.
farsælt komandi ár
Table of contents for Icelandic Yule Lads
- The Yule Lads are coming.
- Stekkjastaur – Gimpy – 12 December
- Giljagaur – Gilly Oaf – 13 December
- Stúfur – Itty Bitty – 14 December
- Þvörusleikir – Pot Scraper Licker – 15 December
- Pottasleikir – Pot Licker – 16 December
- Askasleikir – Bowl Licker – 17 December
- Hurðaskellir – Door Slammer, 18 December
- Skyrgámur – Skyr Glutton – 19 December
- Bjúgnakrækir – 20 December
- Gluggagægir – Peeper – 21 December
- Gáttaþefur – Sniffer – 22 December
- Ketkrókur – Meat Hook – 23 December
- Kertasníkir – Candle Beggar – 24 December
- Merry Christmas – Gleðileg jól
- Happy (real) New Year
