Iceland in December.
The shortest days, the Yule Lads, Christmas markets, and the biggest amateur fireworks display on Earth.
December is four hours of daylight and a country that has decided to make the most of it. Thirteen Yule Lads come down from the mountains one a night from the 12th, leaving sweets or potatoes in shoes on windowsills. Þorláksmessa on the 23rd fills Laugavegur with people eating fermented skate and buying last presents; Christmas begins at six on the 24th and the city goes silent for two days. Then New Year's Eve: bonfires at dusk, the comedy review on television, and fireworks set off by every household at once at midnight.
Light and weather
Daylight: 5 h 30 min at the start, 4 h 10 min at the solstice; sunrise around 11:15, sunset around 15:30 mid-month. Northern lights: Yes, on clear nights.
| High | 3 °C | Low | -2 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain and snow | 95 mm | Sunshine | 13 hours |
| Wind | 5.1 m/s | Daylight | 5 h 30 min at the start, 4 h 10 min at the solstice |
What's on in December
- The Yule Lads, 12 to 24 December: one arrives each night, from Sheep-Cote Clod to Candle-Stealer. Shoes go in windows. Bad children get a potato.
- Þorláksmessa, 23 December: skate dinners, late shopping and street music on Laugavegur.
- Christmas Eve, 24 December: everything closes by early afternoon and Christmas starts at 18:00; 25 and 26 December are fully closed, pools on holiday hours.
- New Year's Eve: neighbourhood bonfires from about 20:30, Áramótaskaupið on television at 22:30, and the fireworks at midnight, sold by the rescue squads to fund themselves.
What's open, what's closed
Ring Road open with storm closures, sometimes for days. Golden Circle and south coast day trips run in the daylight window. Ice caves and glacier walks at their best. Vínbúðin closed on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January; buy on the 23rd like everyone else.
What to do
- The pool on Christmas Day, reduced hours
- Aurora in the longest nights
- No TV on Thursdays and other things we banned
- What is open on the holidays
What to pack
Full winter kit, crampons, and something warm to stand at a bonfire in. Ear protection for midnight on the 31st is not a joke.
Prices and crowds
Low until about the 20th, then the highest of the winter through New Year, then low again from 2 January.
Verdict
Come 1–15 December for winter without the surcharge, or over New Year for the fireworks and pay for it.