The Sun Born Again: Ásatrú’s Jól Celebrations
For practitioners of Ásatrú, a contemporary form of Norse paganism whose beliefs are based in an abiding respect for nature, as well as ancient Norse culture, folk belief, and my
Jingle Bells In July
Twelve years ago, Reykjavík’s “Little Christmas Shop” (Litla Jólabúðin) opened up in Anne Helen Lindsay’s garage. Hers was the house with the Christmas
An Open Letter To Minister Of The Interior Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir
Like many members of the press, I have been following and reporting on the case of Tony Omos, an asylum seeker from Nigeria who was, today, put on a plane […]
Christmas Time With The Grumpiest Man In Reykjavík
In order to curb the disgusting amount of holiday cheer you all have, we wanted to get some perspective from the grumpiest person in Reykjavík. We put out the call […]
30 Things That You Should Do While Visiting Iceland
Journalism students from Eichstätt, Germany, Tim Scholz (22) and Gerrit Kubicki (20) spent a semester studying at the University of Iceland. At the end of their stay, they came up
Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here
And If You Don’t, We’ll Leak Incriminating Information About YouWhile families in Iceland gather together over the holidays, at least one couple will not have that privilege. A
So What’s This Christmas Book Flood I Keep Hearing About?
If you have read any guidebooks about Iceland, you will have read about the Christmas book flood, or jólabókaflóðið, which refers to the fact that a majority of Icelandic book
‘Tis The Season Of Björgvin Halldórsson
Whether or not you’re aware of it, you’ve probably heard Björgvin Halldórsson’s voice a couple of times today if you’re in Iceland. You might even be listening to him as
Naughty Or Nice, Icelandic Style
For Icelandic children, the twelfth of December holds special significance as it marks the first visit of the thirteen Yule Lads. One by one they make their visit, with the [&helli
The Great Icelandic Jubilee
Ólafur is a Ph.D. student in economics at the University of Exeter, emphasizing FDI and financial stability. The hottest story coming from Iceland now is the one about the gover
News In Brief: November
With the holiday season upon us, it’s time for a little old fashioned Icelandic hospitality. It seems that visitors from the UK are the most susceptible to our charms, with [
Sour Grapes & Stuff: Issue 18
Most awesome letter If you return from a trip to Iceland with your emotions unscathed, then you are a stronger better man than I, Gunga Din. This is a land […]
Shadow Boxing With The Banks
During a single week in early October, 154 Icelandic families quietly defaulted on their mortgages and had their homes put up for forced state auctions, or foreclosure sales. They
Merry Christmas, Gleðileg Jól, Buon Natale
Love it or hate it, Christmas music is an inseparable part of the holiday season. It serenades listeners far and wide over the airwaves and, more cynically, spurs shoppers in [&hel
Aboard A Whaling Vessel
It was mid-afternoon when I received the email I had been waiting for all summer. Guðmundur Konráðsson, son of long time minke whaler, Konráð Eggertsson, informed me that I wa
Two Years Ago
Hooray! We turned ten this year. For a humble street rag like Grapevine, turning ten is a pretty big deal—we barely expected to make it to ten issues (and, indeed, […]
The Mythical Banana Kingdom Of Iceland
The temperature outside hovered around 5°C, but inside the greenhouses that dot the South Iceland town of Hveragerði, you can taste the humidity. A hotbed of geothermal activity
Lemúrinn: Historical Hipsters
Hipsters have been an Icelandic fixture for decades. Just consider these photos we found in an old family photo album of hip young people in Ísafjörður in the 1920s. We [&hellip
America Daze
For the last few years, visitors to the Icelandic grocery chain Hagkaup have been met by a trio of unusually high profile greeters. Surrounded by enough American flags to trick [&h
Why Is There No Dating In Iceland?
“So how did you meet your boyfriend,” one of the girls asked. “At Prikið,” one answered. “At Vegamót,” another said. “At Harlem,”