- Let's take a look at the map
- How New Year is celebrated in Iceland
- Chasing the polar lights
- Useful information for travelers
Do you like Icelandic herring? Real, freshest, aromatic and silvery? Or maybe you like the views of glaciers sparkling in the sun like diamonds of the purest water? Do you dream of seeing the aurora borealis that paints half of the sky in extraordinary colors that cannot be found even in the plumage of birds of paradise? If you answered yes to all three questions, you should go to Iceland. You will remember the New Year in the land of ice for a long time - both thanks to the gigabytes of amazing and unique shots on the memory cards of cameras, and because your bank account will feel much easier on your return … However, the last remark is a completely different story that has nothing to do with great holiday experiences.
Let's take a look at the map
The name of Iceland is translated from its state language as "land of ice", but in this case everything is not so simple. Despite the northern latitudes, the island is not a classic Arctic region, and its climate is characterized by weather forecasters as maritime and moderately cool:
- Average air temperatures in the capital of the country during the New Year holidays fluctuate around + 2 ° C during the day and -4 ° C at night.
- The temperature background and weather are strongly influenced by ocean currents: the Gulf Stream and the East Greenland. The first carries warm waters, the second - on the contrary. The proximity of a warm current provides the inhabitants of the land of ice with high humidity and frequent cyclones. There is a lot of rainfall in winter, and therefore the New Year in Iceland is guaranteed to be snowy.
- In the middle of November, it is dark time on the island. The polar night lasts until the end of January and the number of bright hours during the New Year holidays barely reaches five per day.
Cyclones passing through Iceland can dramatically change the view outside the window literally for several hours, and therefore the favorite saying of local residents is "If you are unhappy with the weather, wait a little, and it will get even worse."
How New Year is celebrated in Iceland
Icelanders are trying to highlight the holiday that comes during the polar night with all their might. That is why the main sign of the coming New Year is bonfires and torches burning on the night of December 31 to January 1 in city squares and streets. Another important custom is noise. According to the indigenous inhabitants of the island, you need to behave as loudly as possible on this night in order to scare away evil spirits and attract a lot of luck and money next year.
Children celebrate the New Year in their own way and are looking forward to the arrival of the thirteen Joulasweinns. These characters belong to a tribe of fairy trolls and bring gifts to Icelandic boys and girls. In order not to find raw potatoes instead of cherished sweets in the coveted boot, put on the windowsill long before the holiday, Icelandic children try to behave decently and not upset their parents.
The inhabitants of the island begin to decorate the streets and their own houses long before the onset of the holiday. The main attributes of the coming New Year in Iceland are thousands of lanterns and bulbs that color the dark northern night.
The New Year's menu contains special national dishes. Housewives prepare baked partridge with potatoes, fish and put potato vodka infused with caraway seeds on the table. After a festive dinner, it is customary to go out into the streets in mummers' costumes, visit friends and watch fireworks.
Chasing the polar lights
An amazing natural phenomenon, popularly called the northern lights, and among meteorologists - the mysterious name Aurora Borealis, happens especially often in Iceland on New Year's Eve. The glow of the sky, painted with millions of multicolored flashes, is best admired from 10 pm to midnight.
There are special excursions and tours in Iceland for observing a unique natural phenomenon. Programs begin, for example, in the town of Stokkseyri, which is sixty kilometers from the capital. The Center for Icelandic Wonders was built there, where everything tells about the amazing Aurora. Guests are invited to try a drink made from the waters of the Icelandic glacier, watch a film about the northern lights, and then admire the Aurora Borealis itself.
Tours to Iceland's hot springs, which are illuminated by the light of the aurora at night, are no less popular. Travel agencies of the country will help you choose any program and organize a tour in full accordance with the wishes and possibilities of your budget.
Useful information for travelers
The flight from Russia to Iceland is still possible only with connections. Several European airlines will gladly sell you tickets at once:
- German Airlines operate flights from Moscow to Reykjavik with a transfer in Frankfurt am Main. The flight takes 7.5 hours of net time. The question price for a round trip ticket for the New Year holidays is from 400 euros.
- The traditional high cost in Iceland has also affected the prices of flights by its own airline. A combined flight by KLM from Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport to Amsterdam and then by Icelandair aircraft to Reykjavik and back will cost a Russian tourist at least 500 euros. You will have to spend a little less than 7 hours in the sky.
- Both Austrian airlines and Finns sell tickets from Moscow to the Icelandic capital, but one cannot count on a price lower than 500 euros for a round trip ticket.
Significantly saving on flights can be helped by e-subscribing to the mailing of special offers and news on the websites of airlines that serve the direction you are interested in. European carriers often offer special ticket prices and sales, which is why it is important to be the first to know about the news.
When planning your trip, try to get your tickets well in advance. This way you will be able to save from 30% to 50% of their cost. The most favorable prices are set by the airline 5-7 months before the date of the planned departure.
Winter is not the most popular tourist season in Iceland. When preparing your trip, be sure to ask if the hotel you are looking after is closing. Most of the hotels are closed between November and April due to the lack of guests.
