Public Holidays in Iceland 2026: Dates & Traditions

During this day, there are festivities at the docks and harbors around the country, and it's probably the only holiday in this article that's celebrated more outside of Reykjavik than within it. However, on this day, children dress up in costumes and go to stores and shops to sing for the shopkeepers, who then give them candy in return. A unique Icelandic tradition following this day involves children hanging a small sack of ash (seen above) onto adults, unbeknownst to them. While Iceland hasn't been Catholic since 1550, there still remains a certain legacy of some Catholic traditions, and Ash Wednesday is one of them… This day always falls on a Wednesday (duh) somewhere between February 4th and March 10th.

If you're planning to visit Iceland during this time, check out the selection of Christmas packages in Iceland that are available and make it a holiday you won't forget. The whole of Christmas Day is a bank holiday, and Icelanders usually spend it with family, playing games or watching films. This is washed down with a non-alcoholic Christmas drink called Christmas Ale (jólaöl), which is a mixture of an Icelandic orange soda (Appelsín) and a syrupy malted beverage (straight-forwardly called 'Malt'). Traditional Christmas dishes include ptarmigan (rjúpa), smoked pork (hamborgarhryggur), Icelandic lamb, and sometimes reindeer, accompanied by pickled red cabbage, green peas, caramelized potatoes, and other sides. The last of the Yule Lads arrives in town on December 24th, the infamous Candle Snatcher The interior and exterior of people's homes will have been extensively decorated, and Icelandic Christmas songs will fill the air.

• The Second Whitsun (Annar í hvítasunnu), also known as Pentecost Monday in some countries, is a true public holiday, giving people a nice three-day weekend.
• It is also common for men, and especially women, to wear their national costume (if they have one) in public during this day to honor the nation's past.
• While the religious connotations of this day are totally gone at this point, the tradition still remains to stuff yourself with food and treats.
• One of the longest traditions of this day is the announcement and speech of the "Lady of the Mountain" (Fjallkonan), a female personification of Iceland.

The Icelandic calendar has many public holidays, boasting no less than sixteen leisurely days a year. Read on for a complete guide to Icelandic holidays and the traditions surrounding them. In many cases, the author's copyright is explicitly recognized, but this is not always the case, and authors should review publishing agreements carefully. Sometimes authors are required, or strongly encouraged, to transfer their copyright to the publisher or an affiliated organization, such as a scholarly society. Such agreements typically grant the publisher the exclusive right to publish the work for the duration of the copyright term.

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• It's the time of year when you start seeing items like ram's testicles, sheepshead's paté, blood sausage, and fermented shark appear on the shelves of supermarkets around the country.
• It's worth it to visit this charming island via Westman Islands tours outside of the time of the festival, when it's not full of people.
• While Iceland hasn't been Catholic since 1550, there still remains a certain legacy of some Catholic traditions, and Ash Wednesday is one of them…
• But it’s also worth remembering that public holidays can affect opening hours and services across the country.

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Shops will be closed, and you will have to make dinner reservations if you plan on eating out. Anyone can light fireworks, and many do, resulting in one of the most magnificent and breathtaking informal fireworks displays you could ever hope to see. The last Yule Lad leaves on the 6th of January, making it the 13th and last day of Christmas, simply called "The Thirteenth" (Þrettándinn).

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, a Catholic tradition where observants fast for 40 days. The tradition of eating meat on this day may have originated from Mardi Gras, which in French means "Fat Tuesday" and involves the consumption of rich, fatty foods such as meat in preparation for Lent. Sprengidagur, or "Bursting Day," immediately follows Cream Bun Day and always falls on a Tuesday 7 weeks before Easter, so it can be anywhere between February 3rd and March 9th, depending on when Easter is.

Christmas Eve is somewhat of a formal affair, and people will wash and dress up for the occasion. If Icelanders are working in the morning, they will hurry home to prepare for the evening's festivities. The official public holiday starts after noon, and public transportation in Reykjavík stops at around 4 PM.

Easter Sunday

This strange tradition may be based on the Catholic liturgical part of the service of Lent, when the priest uses a wand to sprinkle holy water on the congregation… Another tradition that follows this day, which is mostly gone today, is that children would decorate sticks with colored paper and other things and sneak upon their parents and spank them while yelling, "Bolla, bolla, bolla!" In the few days preceding this Monday, bakeries all over the country start baking cream buns, traditionally filled with cream and jam, though many different kinds of buns are available as well.

• Whit Sunday is a public holiday that commemorates the day when the Holy Spirit was revealed to the apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ.
• As Reykjavik is not really a hub of fishing anymore, while towns and villages around the country that still rely more heavily on the fishing industry for employment will celebrate this day more than the city folks in Reykjavik.
• It originated in 1894 when the merchants of all the major shops in Reykjavik offered to give their employees a day off to have fun.
• A great way to explore the country during this time is with the many available midnight sun tours in Iceland.

This tradition of neologism remains to this day in Iceland, though it can be hard to break through https://scrapbox.io/Znaki/Eldfj%C3%B6ll_%C3%8Dslands:_eldur,_hraun_og_einstakt_landslag in the times of the internet. Iceland has strict laws regarding which days people are allowed to raise the Icelandic flag on their flag poles. This tradition, which started in the 18th century, is (sadly) mostly gone these days and is certainly a strange take on the tradition of marking a cross on people's foreheads with ash, which still remains in Catholicism. It also marks the beginning of the Þorri season, when Icelanders honor their ancestors by enjoying traditional Icelandic food of various kinds at dinner parties or company banquets, called Þorrablót.

"Sumardagurinn fyrsti," or the First Day of Summer, has been a public holiday since 1971, but its history goes back much further to when Icelanders used the Old Norse calendar. Swimming pools are usually open, and some supermarkets will have limited opening hours. The Second Day of Easter, known as Easter Monday in English-speaking countries, is also a public holiday. In Reykjavik, bars open after midnight and only close in the early hours of the morning. In the afternoon, it's common to celebrate with a home-cooked meal, traditionally a roasted leg of lamb with all the trimmings.

From long-standing Christian observances like Easter and Christmas to time-honored local festivities such as Bolludagur and Jónsmessunótt, each holiday offers a chance to experience Icelandic life in a meaningful way. More recently, Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir has suggested that Sovereignty Day be designated a formal public holiday (“red day”) in Iceland, reopening public discussion about giving December 1st national holiday status. In 2018, there were celebrations around the country for the 100-year anniversary of Icelandic sovereignty and the Icelandic flag. And the Spanish flu had also reached Iceland at the time, making many people sick around the country. By the time Iceland became an independent country, Icelanders had already been autonomous and ruled their own affairs, with only national defense and foreign policy being dictated by Denmark.

Iceland has more than 10,000 waterfalls, and these 20 are the ones worth planning a trip around. Learn everything you need to know about the midnight sun and daylight hours in Iceland. Now based in downtown Reykjavík, I write about travel, music, culture, and local experiences while helping businesses communicate through clear, effective copywriting and marketing. So, while December 13th is not celebrated as a holiday on its own, it is awaited with anticipation by a huge part of the Icelandic population and is the time when the Christmas season really goes into full force! December 13th is the day children put one shoe in the window as the first Yule Lad comes to town and leaves them a little present during the night. That year, a bill was introduced in parliament to declare December 1st a public holiday, so it may finally be properly celebrated in Iceland…

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Despite this generally quiet atmosphere, one notable exception is the Aldrei Fór Ég Suður music festival, which takes place in Isafjordur in the Westfjords over Good Friday and Easter weekend. A majority of locals can enjoy these days off in the embrace of family and friends, meaning that many businesses around the country are closed, though it may differ depending on which holiday it is. Best Aurora Forecast in IcelandGet real-time cloud cover, solar activity, and the best viewing spotsFind the Northern Lights This guide covers the famous Ring Road giants and the lesser-visited falls in remote canyons, with di…

One of the longest traditions of this day is the announcement and speech of the "Lady of the Mountain" (Fjallkonan), a female personification of Iceland. Even though Jón did live long enough to see his dreams of Iceland's independence come true, he's celebrated as a national hero and is featured on the 500 króna banknote. From 1262 until 1944, Iceland had been under the rule of kingdoms in Scandinavia, first Norway, then Denmark, so it was a huge moment when Iceland became an independent nation for the first time in 682 years. Depending on how close to the summer this weekend lands, it is a popular traveling weekend to explore the countryside after being hauled up inside during most of the winter.

• It always lands somewhere between January 19th and the 25th, and in 2026, it falls on Friday, January 23.
• If you plan ahead, you can enjoy both the festivities and the everyday charm of Iceland, from swimming in geothermal pools during quiet holidays to joining crowds in Reykjavik’s spirited celebrations.
• The tradition of eating meat on this day may have originated from Mardi Gras, which in French means "Fat Tuesday" and involves the consumption of rich, fatty foods such as meat in preparation for Lent.

This bank holiday weekend is called Verslumannahelgi, and many people leave the city to camp in the countryside, relax in a summer house, or join some of the many festivals around the country featuring live music and fireworks. Shortly after midnight, most bars open their doors, and some people go downtown for a good time, while some go to house parties around town lasting until the wee hours. Parties tend to last until the wee hours, and the downtown gets filled with people looking for a good time. As you can see, Iceland’s calendar is filled with a vibrant mix of public holidays and traditional celebrations that reflect both the nation’s history and its unique cultural spirit. After plenty of family time, many choose to go out partying at night as the bars are open late and people don't have work the next day. Nearly everything is guaranteed to be closed after this time, including shops and restaurants.

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The reason it's called the "Second Day" of Christmas is that in Iceland, Christmas, or "jól," lasts for 13 total days! Supermarkets will still be closed, but restaurants and bars in the center of Reykjavík will mostly function as normal. The Second Day of Christmas (Annar í jólum) is also a public holiday, and it is savored in a very similar fashion to Christmas Day.

Many bank holidays in Iceland are steeped in unique celebratory traditions, and the shared practice of these customs creates a strong feeling of community. You can visit the many celebrations in the countryside by renting a car in Iceland and driving there yourself, or explore the selection of culture tours available in Iceland for a better insight. Make sure to book your hotel in Iceland ahead of time if you're planning to go during a popular holiday.

This festival features many of the most prominent musicians and bands in Iceland, with the highlight being a huge sing-along on a large hill featuring classic Icelandic pop and folk songs and a huge bonfire when the last song is over. Þjóðhátíð festival has been celebrated in the Westman Islands for over 100 years. It originated in 1894 when the merchants of all the major shops in Reykjavik offered to give their employees a day off to have fun. Commerce Day is a unique Icelandic holiday originally dedicated to the merchants of Iceland, though now it's a public holiday everyone can enjoy. It is also common for men, and especially women, to wear their national costume (if they have one) in public during this day to honor the nation's past. Every year, in each and every town and city around the country, a woman is chosen as the "Lady of the Mountain" for that year's National Day, wearing a distinctive costume that follows that role.

Many swimming pools in Reykjavik are open on Maundy Thursday, and Icelanders love to spend their vacation time soaking in the hot pools and, sometimes, the sunshine. Just be sure to have your shopping finished as the shops won't be open until Saturday! This is also a popular day for young Icelanders to be confirmed into the National Church of Iceland, which is celebrated with their extended family with a large cake and plenty of presents. New Year's Day is a very important bank holiday in Iceland, as it would be cruel to force people to work after going all out celebrating the night before.

Whit Sunday is a public holiday that commemorates the day when the Holy Spirit was revealed to the apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ. Schools and workplaces are closed, although restaurants and bars will be open in the center of Reykjavik. The first of these marches, however, took place all the way back in 1932 to protest the number of working hours in a week. This May Day tradition largely stems from the Cold War, when there was an active community of communist sympathizers within Iceland who adopted the custom from other left-leaning groups in mainland Europe. In Reykjavik, people take to the streets to demonstrate against misgivings they may have with the current state of affairs, and the procession is led by a brass band down the main shopping street, Laugavegur.

It always lands somewhere between January 19th and the 25th, and in 2026, it falls on Friday, January 23. Bóndadagur marks the first day of Þorri, one of the lunar months in the Old Norse calendar, and is a day for people to celebrate the most important men in their lives. The last Yule Lad to return home is Kertasníkir (Candle Beggar), who comes to town on Christmas Eve and usually gives children their most impressive gift of all the Yule Lads. However, the following holidays, while still celebrated, are not considered bank holidays in Iceland, and people are generally not given a day off during these days.