Gleðilegan júlí!*
And so, we segue into July, the month when all of Iceland, and especially the city of Reykjavík, has a slower, gentler rhythm. This is the big holiday month for most people in the Land of Ice, with some workplaces even shutting down entirely. Most notably that would be playschools, meaning parents are forced to take their annual leave from work at the same time. If you need something done at this time of year, be it medical tests, passport renewal, or whatever else, it will likely take 2-3 times longer than at other times.
July in Iceland has been like this ever since I can remember. In fact, when I was a kid, there was no TV for the entire month of July. In those days we only had one channel, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV), which broadcast from approximately 6 pm to 11 pm every evening, except on Thursdays, when they took the day off. And, yes, they took the entire month of July off, as well.
In my memory it was a whole month of taking trips to the countryside, spending lots of time outdoors in the nearly 24-hour daylight, drinking tea or hot cocoa in the evenings, reading books, and playing cards. No one missed the TV.
Nowadays many people go abroad in July, probably for the reason I outlined above, i.e. parents being forced to take their holidays then. Personally I try not to leave Iceland in the summer. This is my favourite time of year—the light is so gorgeous, and when the sun shines there is no place on earth more beautiful than Iceland, in my opinion. I also love the slower pace of my hometown during July, and into the beginning of August, when we have a long weekend known as Verslunarmannahelgin—our Labour Day. That is the last weekend before things get back to “normal” and I’d say about half of Reykjavík’s residents go away, which is just exquisite. 🥰
Over to you: what is the main holiday month where you live? Do you notice a change in your environment during that month?
*Happy July!
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I live in South Florida. Summer here is extremely hot and humid and is getting more so as time goes on. So most people head back north for some cooler weather. I am coming to Iceland July 12th with a women’s group (about 11 of us) for a multisport adventure of a lifetime. I’m beside myself with excitement as this has been a bucket list item.
Alda, ég verð heima á Íslandi, seinna í þessum mánuði. Hvar get ég fundið bækurnar þínar? Ég vil ekki panta og bíða eftir pósti, algjör óþarfi fyrst ég verð heima.
Þú ert alveg frábær, skrifar skemmtilega með “húmor “. Perfect english etc.
Langar í bækurnar fyrir gjafir til barna og Íslands aðdáendur .
Valgerdur Friðriksson