The Austurvöllur Christmas Tree Has Been Lit

Yesterday, the traditional Christmas tree of Austurvöllur square in front of Parliament–often referred to as the “Oslo tree” after its origin–was lit up yesterday, Vísir reports.

This was the first time the tree was lit in the traditional manner in three years. A brass band played Christmas songs, and a troll (or presumably, a human being dressed as a troll) was on the scene to entertain children.

Also present were numerous Yule Lads (or more likely, ordinary people pretending to be said Yule Lads), as well as Reykjavík mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson and Oslo city councilperson Hallstein Bjercke.

Icelanders have enjoyed Christmas trees from Oslo since 1951, but received a scare in 2014 when Norwegian authorities said it would be too expensive to send any more trees. The outcry was such that the Oslo Business Council re-assessed the situation, and decided to resume sending trees after all.

Later, the coronavirus pandemic made the usually popular public lighting a more understated affair, so there were numerous folks happy to welcome the Christmas season in this fashion again.