Today Iceland celebrates Öskudagur or Ash Wednesday. This is a holiday that marks the first day of Lent, or 46 days until Easter. Öskudagur has also been known as the Icelandic Carnival.
The holiday has a religious history but has taken a more fun angle in Iceland. On this day, Icelandic kids dress up in costumes and ask for candy in exchange for e.g. singing a song or telling a joke.
Grown-ups, often take ashes from the church to bless their homes. There’s also a tradition of hanging small bags with ash on men, and small bags with pebbles on women that you fancy.
See the video of Icelandic children celebrating Öskudagur in 2020.
Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted completely in Iceland last Friday, so hopefully, you can see dressed-up kids around in Iceland today.
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