Viðey
Christmas Harbour
s
Mosfellsbær
Christmas Island
Christmas Market Christmas Arts & Craft Christmas Concerts Christmas Kitchen
Grafarvogur
Christmas Hour
Christmas Tradition
Reykjavík
Christmas Valley
Christmas Calendar
Christmas Tradition
Kópavogur Breiðholt
Rauðavatn
Christmas Fun
Christmas Forrest
Garðabær
Elliðavatn
Christmas Market
Vífilsstaðavatn Hafnarfjörður
Christmas Market Urriðavatn
ADVENT THROUGHOUT THE AREAS Each Advent Area in Reykjavík is dedicated to one of our many cultural themes or traditional specialities; be it horse-riding, sailing, a unique shopping experience or a simple good, oldfashioned, sing–along — all events are created to provide an entertaining and educational experience, in a lovely,
cosy atmosphere. Our Advent Areas are distributed throughout the city, with most of them concentrated in and around the city centre. Find out more about what's all wrapped up in Reykjavík this Christmas at christmas.visitreykjavik.is
R E Y K JAV Í K C H R I S TM A S C IT Y DEC E M B E R 1S T 2013 — JA N UA RY 6T H 2014
REYKJAVÍK CHRISTMAS CITY
THE CURIOUS CHRISTMAS CREATURES
Reykjavik Christmas City invites you to get all wrapped up in our wonderful winter celebrations throughout December.
Take part in a fun activity to "Hunt for the Christmas Creatures" who'll be popping up in animated form all over town.
Our remarkable Christmas season, crowned with regular spellbinding displays of the Northern Lights is truly a magical time to visit Iceland's capital city. It's not just those other worldly illuminations that make Reykjavík a fascinating Christmas destination though.
It wouldn't be the same without them. Reykjavík Christmas City will once again invite those notorious Christmas Creatures to take up residence on the walls of some of the city’s most prominent buildings, with more mischief in the making planned for this year.
you a good idea of what kind of behaviour to expect. Apart from engaging in a little mischief, the Yule Lads leave a small treat, typically a clementine, in the shoes (left out on the windowsill) of all good children. The naughty ones get rewarded with a rotten old potato instead.
The Icelandic Santa Clauses or "Yule Lads" as they are also known, are amongst some of most curious Christmas Creatures of Icelandic folklore who come down from the mountains at Christmas to cause all sorts of havoc in the name of Advent.
As usual people will be invited to take part in the Hunt for the Christmas Creatures — a fun activity for all the family, which involves solving a few Creature associated riddles, with prizes, including giftcards and citypasses awarded to the lucky winners.
The fact that Iceland has not one, but thirteen Santa Clauses or "Yule Lads", is a little gem of cultural knowledge that's been celebrated as part of our Reykjavík Christmas City since the year 2010; it's also resulted in quite a few kids around the world redirecting their mail from the North Pole to Iceland. Apart from the emphasis on extraordinary illuminations and various traditional Christmas events, such as the annual lighting of the Oslo Christmas Tree, each
year we collaborate with a number of different city departments to create a lively and entertaining Christmas season, spiced up with our unique combination of fun, food and Icelandic folklore. In addition, a number of beautiful locations across the city are transformed every year into dedicated Advent areas, where the majority of culture–inspired events and activities take place. These locations include the Christmas Valley in Laugardalur, Christmas Island in Viðey, a Christmas Market in Ingolfstorg Square, the Christmas Village in Hafnarfjörður, an Advent Calendar at the Nordic House and our charming Christmas Harbour.
Each has its own rather descriptive name such as Sausage Swiper (Bjúgnakraekir) or Door Slammer (Hurðaskellir) which gives