Words by

Nanna Árnadóttir

@nannaarnadottir

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biologyfishman/Wikimedia Commons

The municipality of Norðurþing in North Iceland has decided to stop flying flags at half mast when a resident passes away, reports MBL.

“I think this tradition has become outdated, but then this community has changed a lot,” said town councilman Hjálmar Bogi Hafliðason. “People have moved to the town who just aren’t familiar with the practice and the tourists were surprised by it. They figured maybe the head of state was dead.”

In the past, whenever any member of the community passed away the flag was flown half mast at Húsavík City Hall, even when that person had moved away from the town, but alas this practice will now end.