Magnificence of midnight sun
For most of us, April is a month of Spring, at least for Europeans, but for the Icelanders the 19th of April is the First Day of Summer , according to the old Icelandic calendar, which comes with big celebrations, parades, family events and smiles all round, regardless of whether it snows or not.All the nation is eating cream cakes and celebrate as much as they can, the first day of Summer in April is a huge going on, so if you like to share that joy with them, before European summer starts, Reykjavik is waiting for you with wide open hands. But it’s not an event celebrated only in the capital, to mark its reappearance early in the season, the First Day of Summer is celebrated throughout the country. The magnificence of summer’s midnight sun in Iceland is countered by the bleakness of midwinter, when there’s almost no sun at all.
Of course, all the celebrations and big events will be the brightest in the capital, so before heading there, stop in the local info office for some more and specific info, there will be lively and colourful parades and plenty of organised entertainment!
The first day of summer dates back to the times when everyone’s livelihood depended on the elements. In Iceland this day is an annual public holiday, they used to divide the year into only two seasons; summer and winter, imagine there are also summer gifts coming along such as ball, swimsuit, shovel and bucket or other toys.
