Now that some of the major Christmas events are over, Icelandic people are gearing up for the New Year. While I did talk about how amazing it is to celebrate the New Year in Iceland in episode 23, which is all about Icelandic Holidays, Traditions and Celebrations and episode 31, "16 Christmas Activities to in Reykjavík, Iceland", I still feel like the New Year's celebration in Iceland deserves an episode of its own. After all, it is one of the most joyous, noisy and fun nights of the year. Well, at least it is for me.







Go to a Community Bonfire



Most Icelandic people start out New Year’s eve with a gathering of friends and family for a lovely dinner. If you don’t have an Icelandic family to join, no worries because there are restaurants that are open that night. Because the word has gotten out that Reykjavík is the place to be to ring in the New Year, there are even tours now that take care of all of your logistics for that night. I haven’t gone on any so I can’t vouch for them. However, a quick google search of “New Year’s tours in Reykjavik” will bring up a lot of tour results.



After dinner, people head out around 8 or 9 to their community bonfire to enjoy the warmth from the crackling fire, chat with friends, some people are singing and many others are reflecting on the past year. It is such a cosy time. There are 18 places where bonfires will be in the Reykjavík area this year. Due to safety reasons, the use of fireworks near bonfires are forbidden. Just keep that in mind if you plan to buy some to set off during the night.







The Annual Comedy Show



After spending some time at their local bonfire, everyone hurries inside to watch Áramótaskaupið, or skaupið for short. It comes on TV promptly at 10:30 pm. This is a one hour sketch comedy show, similar to Saturday Night Live, that only happens on New Year's Eve.



Besides major Icelandic football matches, this is probably the most watched show in the country. The show is a comedic view of all of the major events that have happened in Iceland throughout the year. Unfortunately, scandals have become quite common in Iceland, so those are always made fun of during the show. There are also jokes about artists, well known business people, activists, crazy things that tourists do and any odd occurrences.  If you have not been keeping up with the Icelandic news and if you do not understand Icelandic, you will be lost.



However, it is just an hour and you might find some of the situations funny, even if you can’t understand what is being said. Also, the majority of the country is watching the show, so it will be very quiet during that time. If you want to see it, you can view it online at ruv.is. You just click sjónvarpið, or on channel 1 if you have a television where you are staying. After the show, Icelandic people usually talk about whether is was good or bad this year.  If you want to see a previous episode of the show, check out the video below.




https://youtu.be/GBiA6PQEIOQ




Time for Fireworks to Ring in the New Year in Iceland



Following the show, it is almost time for the clock to strike 12.  After grabbing a drink or two, everyone gets their warm clothes back on. They head outside so they can be ready for the countdown.  If you would like to set off your own fireworks, you can buy them from the Search and Rescue teams in Iceland. This is a volunteer led organization and the selling of fireworks is their biggest fundraiser of the year.



I know it sounds bizarre that the Search and Rescue Teams are selling something that is quite dangerous, but such is life in Iceland. They start to sell the fireworks on December 28th. Last year, there were 130 places around the country where you could buy fireworks. You will definitely be able to buy some if you would like to fire them off when the clock strikes midnight.



Where to Watch the Fireworks in Reykjavík



Many people, including lots of visitors in the country,