deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

The next time you are in Reykjavik you must try the world famous cinnamon roll with a cuppa joe at Braud & Co. (That last letter that looks like a d, is not a d, and is pronounced like an f.) The other thing that might be a tad bit confusing is wondering if it…

World War I was barely six months old when on Christmas Day a strange occurrence happened. Without a formal treaty being signed peace happened in the trenches. English and German soldiers first popped their heads up then walked towards each other. Shaking hands, exchanging food, singing Christmas Caroles as best they could between English and…

https://youtu.be/eQDjyZWw_A4?si=RXf0To2BrtYj-2Sp

The final Yule Lad is Kertasnikir, whose name translates to “Candle-Stealer” or “Candle-Beggar.” He emerges on Christmas Eve in Iceland. Like his twelve brothers, his name is self-explanatory, although the consequences of his hi-jinks were more troublesome them they may appear. In the past, candles were incredibly valuable in Iceland, providing light throughout the winter…

Christmas culinary traditions vary significantly between families, but there is one common central feature to most festive feasts, and that’s the meat. In Icelandic folklore, however, this was the target of thievery from the twelfth and penultimate Yule Lad, Ketkrokur, or “Meat-Hook.” Lurking wherever he had access to a kitchen (behind doors, under tables, in…

Gattathefur, or “Doorway-Sniffer,” may have come into folklore due to the whistling breaths of the wind creeping through Iceland’s draughty turf houses. Similar to Window-Peeper and Door-Slammer, the idea of him creeping into a home to cause mayhem haunted the nightmares of Iceland’s children. This was exacerbated by the fact that Gattathefur was renowned for…

The tenth Yule Lad to descend from over the festive season was perhaps the creepiest of all: Gluggagaegir, or “Window-Peeper.” Considering the darkness of Iceland’s winters, where there are only four hours of sunlight a day around Christmas, it takes little imagination to picture the fear children must have felt passing the windows of their homes…

Smoking meat is one of the favorite cooking methods in Iceland. Smoked fish and lamb are popular throughout the year, as well as smoked sausages known in Icelandic as “bjuga”. From the night of the 20th, however, vigilance was required when preparing the bjuga. It was the only piece of food that the ninth Yule…

The meals leading up to Christmas are, without a doubt, some of the best of the year. One can indulge in perfectly cooked poultry, nut roasts, mince pies, gingerbread men, cinnamon rolls, and all manner of other treats. This season in Iceland, however, one dish deserves an extra special mention: the delicious and creamy Skyr.…

Hurdaskellir has a modus operandi he learned from another of the oldest horror tropes. In English, his name is “Door-Slammer,” and as this Yule Lad embarks on his thirteen-day journey over the festive season, it is all he intends to do. Until the end of the month, he would sneak from home to home, reaching the…