Contents
- Christmas Jumper Day Ugly Jumpers and UK vs Iceland Christmas traditions
- When did Christmas Jumpers Start?
- Christmas Jumper Day
- Traditional Norwegian Scandinavian and Icelandic knitwear
- Ugly Sweater parties
- Jólasveinar, there is no Santa Claus or Father Christmas in Iceland
- Four Sundays before Christmas
- 23rd December
- 24th December
- 25th December
- 26th December
- 6th January
- Why Iceland has 13 days of Christmas and not 12
- Celebrating Christmas jumpers and Ugly sweaters or not!
Christmas Jumper Day Ugly Jumpers and UK vs Iceland Christmas traditions
Christmas is Christmas, right? Well, no, how and when Christmas is celebrated depends on where you live, just as the UK has Christmas traditions so do other countries around the world and that of course, includes Iceland.
When did Christmas Jumpers Start?
In the UK a relatively recent Christmas tradition is Christmas Jumper Day (Yay!), a day to dress down at work, for the bosses to turn the heating down and to celebrate all that is good and bad about Christmas Jumpers!
Christmas jumpers first became popular in the UK during the 1980s, the decade of big hair, pie frilled collars and Lady Diana Spencer who became Princess Diana. Diana popularised bright jumpers in 1981 when she was seen shortly after her engagement to the (then) Prince of Wales wearing a bright red jumper covered in sheep with one black sheep. That jumper recently sold at auction for a cool $1.14 million (USD).
Bright and eye catching jumpers are a staple of Scandinavian and Icelandic clothing. The Icewear wool jumper ranges include a satisfying mixture of gentle, subtle, neutral shades and bright, poppy designs that will look great for Christmas Jumper Day and beyond. If you’re seeking a jumper to keep you warm and to stand out then take a look at the Icewear version of a sheep jumper, it’s an iconic Icelandic Sheep Design called Lukka made with 100% Icelandic wool, made in a traditional way.
Christmas Jumper Day
Christmas Jumper Day started as an annual event in the UK in December 2012. The day takes place around the second week of December, the 2024 date of 12th December or 12/12/24 offers a feel good date for the 2024 event. Christmas Jumper Day fundraises for the Save the Children charity and everyone in the UK who wears a “Christmas Jumper” to work, or school contributes £2.00 for the privilege of doing so.
By the time the 2023 day was finished over £30M had been raised since the inception of the idea in 2012.
In the UK most people celebrate Christmas throughout December with work parties, school Christmas parties, carol concerts, bright lights and more. Many shops start to decorate for Christmas and begin to sell Christmas gifts and themed items as early as August. The UK does however also have quite a big “keep Christmas in December” movement, those who are fed up with the commercialism of 21st century Christmas and who wish to return to the bigger party atmosphere of all the bright lights, shopping centre Christmas trees and excitement limited to the month of December.
Indeed, in the north of England and Wales many people travel to see the Blackpool Illuminations that begin at the start of September when the evenings are darker and continue until about a week after Christmas.
Those in the south are likely to visit the famous Harrods department store to see the spellbinding window and food displays and maybe buy some Christmas gifts, a hamper or to treat children or grandchildren with a visit to see Santa or more traditionally in the UK Father Christmas.
Traditional Norwegian Scandinavian and Icelandic knitwear
Some say that Christmas jumpers began in Norway, and its without a doubt that patterned woollen jumpers where populated in Nordic countries long before becoming popular in the UK and the rest of Europe. Many of the traditional Scandinavian and Icelandic designs available from Icewear are suitable for wearing as Christmas Jumpers and to keep out the cold during the winter. Lundi is a super soft wool jumper featuring the iconic puffin or maybe you’d prefer a brightly patterned Lopapeysa design or a traditional Norwegian pattern like the Oslo. Other animal inspired patterns include horses and reindeer. Or for a traditional costume inspired design, take a look at Stavanger. Whichever style you like, many are available in men and women’s styles, plus of course the animal versions come in kids’ sizes too.
Ugly Sweater parties
Beginning in the early 2000s the Ugly Christmas Jumper is a relatively recent concept in Iceland too. Ugly Sweater parties are a thing in many Icelandic workplaces, it’s a new “tradition” imported from Britain and the USA that seems to have divided people in Iceland. Quite rightly too, the origin of these jumpers does not fit with the Icelandic experience. The idea of bright and often Christmas themed jumpers has arisen from a culture of grandparents and aunts giving “special” Christmas jumpers as gifts to children and teenagers who then had to wear them over the holiday period. It is not something that resonates with Icelanders, who don’t have the experience because it doesn’t happen in Iceland! So it is not surprising that the idea of wearing an ugly sweater doesn’t resonate with many Icelanders.
There is a long tradition of giving clothing and specifically knitwear, however most grandparents and aunts in Iceland are proficient knitters and make beautiful knitwear to traditional designs. Modern lifestyles mean many don’t have the time to knit gifts, so purchase handknits or other clothing from knitwear experts such as Icewear. Alternatively, the imported idea of ugly knitwear that is bright and garish is an antithesis to many Icelanders with their long tradition of colours from nature.
Indeed, Icelandic people’s experience of bright and brash jumpers was previously limited to those famous global photos of Diana in her bright jumper, and films like Bridget Jones’ Diary and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Much more recently the Save the Children Christmas jumper promotion has reached Iceland, and it is not surprising that with such a long tradition of beautiful knitwear that Icelanders are divided into those that see the fun of Ugly Sweater parties and those who don’t understand the irony of the concept.
Iceland has a host of Christmas traditions that visitors are certain to enjoy when visiting Iceland in December or around Christmas time.
Jólasveinar, there is no Santa Claus or Father Christmas in Iceland
The new ugly jumper parties joins the older Icelandic Christmas traditions such as 13 yule lads and a yule cat, collectively called “jólasveinar”.
The story goes that the 13 lads, their mother Grýla, and the yule cat all belong to the same family of trolls. Although they live in the mountains, they visit human settlements during the Christmas season. Some of the lads are friendly and some of them are not, so they are known as mischievous pranksters, and they are not always popular.
These days it is possible to visit the “jólasveinar” at lake Mývatn in North Iceland in December. They populate the area known as Dimmuborgir which is an otherworldly landscape that is definitely worth visiting at any time of year. NB, We don’t think it’s the real family, some human’s having their own prank by pretending to be jólasveinar. Nevertheless, they are very popular with children of all ages.
Children have the opportunity to receive a gift from the yule lads. In Iceland children do their best to be good and leave a shoe on the window from 11th December until Christmas eve in the hope of receiving a gift. Visiting children can join in by leaving a shoe on the window during their stay. Parents and carers can help the yule lads who may not be able to get the gift into the shoe. Sometimes children who haven’t been well behaved awake to find a potato in their shoe!
Four Sundays before Christmas
Its little wonder that the Christmas season is loved in Iceland. It’s the darkest time of the year, yet bright twinkling lights are everywhere and offset by the often star studied dark night skies creating a magical atmosphere as the excitement builds.
The Iceland Christmas celebrations tend to begin four Sundays before Christmas day, this is known as the first day of advent just as it is in Christian households in the UK.
The start of advent is celebrated with the lighting of advent candles. Four candles are placed in a wreath, one is lit on the first Sunday and the others are lit on the subsequent Sundays. This means that due to the way the candles burn down by Christmas they will all be at different heights.
In the northern hemisphere the winter solstice occurs between 20th and 23rd December and Iceland and UK share the same winter solstice each year. Because Iceland is so close to the Artic Circle Iceland experiences very little daylight around the time of the winter solstice.
23rd December
Many shops stay open until late on 23rd December with closing times of 10pm or even midnight. Because many bars stay open until 1am a lot of people dress up and go to the bar to meet friends. You will see some having fun dressed up as the yule lads, and playing pranks on other people.
24th December
The legend goes that anyone who hasn’t received a gift of new clothing by 24th December is nabbed by the jólasveinar cat.
Because the new day begins at sunset in Iceland 24th December is also traditionally when Christmas gifts are opened and if tradition is to be observed the Christmas dinner begins promptly at 6pm. With gifts being exchanged after the lavish meal. Icelanders refer to 24th December as “jol” or "Adfangadagur".
After 24th December the yule lads begin to head home to the mountains and the final one gets home on 6th January.
25th December
Some Icelanders go to midnight mass on 24th/25th December, returning home some to get some sleep and others will read books they have been gifted or play cards or other games with friends and neighbours.
Christmas day is a day of family gatherings, many people dress up, it’s a day of relaxing, playing games and watching Christmas films.
26th December
26th December is known as the second day of Christmas and is a public holiday. That means that most businesses and many shops are closed on 26th December. It’s a far more casual day than Christmas day, but it is advisable to book restaurant tables early or arrange to eat in at your hotel in advance.
6th January
The day that the final of the 13 brothers go home is a day of celebration. People light bonfires and some towns and cities host a parade of creatures such as trolls and elves. It is not unusual for fireworks to be let off to “blow away” the Christmas season.
Why Iceland has 13 days of Christmas and not 12
The 13 days are tied into the jólasveinar, 13 yule lads. It is said that the first comes down from the mountains 13 days before Christmas Eve, he’s known as Sheep-Cote Clod, he has a wooden leg and likes to frighten farmer’s sheep. The next night Gully Gawk comes down, he is known for stealing milk directly from the cows. The following night its Stubby, he’s the short one, followed by Spoonlicker, Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Door Slammer, Sky Gobbler, Sausage Swiper, Window Peeker, Door Sniffer, Meat Hook, and the last Candle Beggar. Then after Christmas Eve they return home in the same order.
Celebrating Christmas jumpers and Ugly sweaters or not!
Warm clothing is a popular Christmas gift and not just because of the yule cat (see 24th December above). Staying warm outdoors in Iceland is dependent on having the best outdoor clothing and that is where Icewear comes in. Icelandic wool jumpers and cardigans, the warmest you can get are complimented by lambs’ wool, merino, other wool and blends to provide a huge range of garments to combat the great outdoors whatever the weather. Some people give lovely traditional woollen blankets and other traditional Icelandic treats.
Iceland is a country of ancient landscapes and ancient traditions, the land of fire and ice, of trolls, volcanoes and glaciers, the country of pure bred sheep and horses that go back centuries. Yet in December there is a new tradition to get excited about, or maybe not, it’s the ugly jumper!
