Today is Iceland’s National Independence Day and I am celebrating with locals in the very north in Iceland’s second largest town – Akureyri.
Icelandic National Day is known as the day of the nation’s celebration and is an annual holiday in Iceland which commemorates the foundation of The Republic of Iceland on June 17, 1944 and its independence from Danish rule.
The date was chosen to coincide with the birthday of Jón Sigurðsson, a major figure of Icelandic culture and the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement.
Both Reykjavik and Akureyri held parade celebrations, including a brass band at the fore. Riders on Icelandic horses precede the brass band and flagbearers from the Icelandic scout movement follow the brass band. It is also a day of speeches, dancing and traditional music, played by local bands in the area.
In Akureyri, I hung out with some local artists who are preparing for an art exhibit opening on Saturday June 22, so I went in for waffle and coffee, served with berry jams and syrup. I also ended up on art walk through the town center before getting lost in a little fur and wool in the town’s Geysir shop.
One of the speeches is from Fjallkonan (the woman of the mountain), clad in Skautbúningur, who recites a poem. She represents the fierce spirit of the Icelandic nation and of Icelandic nature; this is in many ways an inheritance from the period of romanticism that reigned when the first steps toward independence were taken.
In the middle of it all, I ran into two adorable children running around with beaming smiles on their faces swaying the Icelandic flag back and forth with as much force as their little hands could fathom. It was a special day and one more experience in Iceland that has added to its incredible charm, one which I’ll cherish for years to come.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
