Welcome back to Reykjavík Grapevine’s Newscast! Join journalist Josie Anne as we explore beautiful Hafnarfjörður and talk about what’s going on in Iceland.
The big news this week is Covid. Iceland experienced a record-breaking day of Covid numbers last week, with 167 domestically diagnosed cases. The vast majority were outside of quarantine. As a result, many restrictions have been reimposed, including mask wearing and social distancing.
Read more HERE.
Another story that has been getting a slightly surprising amount of discussion has been the decision of the town council of Akureyri to ban the free movement of cats in the municipality, starting from the beginning of January 2025. The Veterinary Society of Iceland has come out against Akureyri’s controversial ban, but many people believe it is a good idea to protect bird life.
Read more HERE.
And finally, we chat to Stefàn from the Forestry Service of Hafnarfjörður (Skógræktarfélag Hafnarfjarðar) to learn about Icelandic Christmas trees, and discuss some Icelandic Christmas traditions.
Want to be in with the chance of wining a box of Icelandic Christmas goodies—and a branch of Christmas tree to get the scent of Icelandic Christmas? You can do so by signing up for our newsletter before 1500 Icelandic time on Friday 12th November and answering the following question:
Which ONE of these is NOT the name of one of the 13 legendary Yule Lads?
a) Gluggagægir = Window Peeper
b) Hurðaskellir = Door Slammer
c) Kertasníkir = Candle Beggar
d) Pönnusleikir = Pan Licker
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