Aldis Firman, Iceland
Where do you spend the festive holiday season?
Between our families in England and Iceland. I come from Iceland and was brought up there so my husband and I have a longstanding agreement that every other year, we spend in Iceland over the holidays to split between our English and Icelandic traditions and families. This year i Iceland again.
Talk us through your typical Christmas Day…
We celebrate on Christmas Eve, 24th December as a lot of Europe does. Christmas starts officially at 6pm, once the church bells chime. Phones, television, computers are off and the family comes together for the evening over candlelight and traditional family recipes that we usually only indulge in once a year.
We then open the presents after dinner with dessert served later. There is no one that comes down the chimney and no one Santa that delivers presents. It is all very clear to everyone from whom and to whom each present is and we all take our time and unwrap one by one, looking at what each person received. Christmas Eve is all about time with one another, uninterrupted time. We talk about the year gone, what is ahead for each person. What we are grateful for, highlight, lowlights and how we overcame them. It’s a long night!
When does Father Christmas come - if he does?
Icelandic Santa’s are called Jolasveinar or often dubbed the Jule Lads. And there are 13 of them! They come to “town” from the icy mountains on the eve of the 12th of December, one by one every evening up until the 24th. They each have their special roles and usually play tricks on residents but always leave a small present for very well-behaved children, each night in the children's shoes!
We don’t have Christmas stockings, but each Icelandic child is to leave their best-polished shoe in their bedroom window each night in the 12 days leading up until Christmas, in the hope that their good behaviour warrants a little present.
Traditionally, badly behaved children risk getting a rotten potato in their shoe overnight.
We have upheld this tradition in England, with my children leaving their finest shoe in the window from 12th December every year, waiting for the Jule Lads to travel to England after all the Icelandic children are in bed, they travel abroad in search of Icelandic children overseas. Apparently.
There are a lot of stories about the Jule Men, the most terrifying of all is their mother, she is called Gryla and bullies her husband Leppaludi. Gryla is a troll and has a cat called the Jule Cat that eats children! She goes on the prawl at night searching for badly behaved children to put in her sack and then cooks them in a stew (kiddie stew)! So its no wonder children in Iceland are impeccably behaved all December!
Who are you spending Christmas with this year?
My parents, siblings, nephews and niece in our home in Iceland. We will also make an effort to have lots of small celebrations with extended family and old friends. Christmas tends to start on the 23rd December when a lot of people tend to have their houses “open” for friends and family to pop in for a tipple, swap presents and sample some of the December baking efforts. It is like a house crawl on the Mass of Thorlak (Þorláksmessa).
What’s on the menu?
Leading up to Christmas, lots of herring, fermented fish, rye bread, fresh salmon and gravlax.
Then Christmas Eve, only once a year, a one-hit wonder – smoked, boiled then roasted pork rib, glazed with brown sugar, served with “brown potatos”, soured red cabbage, pickles and waldorf salad. All laid out in the centre of the decorated table served “family style” Dessert is Danish apple pie and whipped cream, a recipe from my grandmother and aunt.
Your festive tipple of choice?
Icelandic Maltöl or Malt ale/beer. It's wonderful, sweet dark light beer that is brewed like beer but with minimal fermentation and low or no alcohol. I can not get it anywhere outside of Iceland. Othwersie, mulled wine or Jólaglögg I’ll take any day, especially outside in the snow and cold.
What are your traditions?
How do you decorate?
Wherever I am, Iceland or England I have a rather Nordic style I like to mix in with traditional and old items passed down from my grandmothers and great grandmothers, handpainted ceramics and porcelain comes out of the cupboard. Lighting is everything, soft lighting, lots of soft dim lights, candles, open fires and lots of nordic pine and eucalyptus.
And laying the table?
Traditional but the Scandinavian touch always comes through I think, soft colours with a touch of sharper colour which I tend to change year on year, depending on how I’m feeling that year. This year its pink. Lots of candles, table cloth and a table runner made by my late grandmother Hervör and handpainted porcelain jugs and serving plates by her. I find a Nordic style fits in with any theme if its done right. I have my white base then add colour and greens.
What do you hope is under the tree for you this Christmas?
All I want for Christmas…is a pizza oven.
Favourite Christmas soundtrack…
There is a hymn close to my heart. Its an 800-year-old Icelandic hymn, Heyr Himna Smidur which is food for the soul this time of year and we listen to this on Christmas Eve. Otherwise I love Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole, The Christmas Song. For something real’ feel good – it has to be WHAM, Last Christmas, classic.
What happens on Boxing Day?
Boxing Day in Iceland is usually a very relaxed, unplanned day for us. It’s a further opportunity to catch up with family or friends, read a good book, play music, chess and cards. In the past, most shops, restaurants and public places still remained closed on Boxing Day so its very much a time to spend at home and make it “hyggelig”...
About Aldis:
Managing Director and Founder of Lab My Brand, Aldis is an award-winning business founder, start-up investor, ambassador to She Can He Can and a top 100 f:entrepreneur and sits on the Icelandic / UK Chamber of Commerce board. Aldis lives in Oxfordshire with her husband Ralph and two children and spends as much time as possible at home in Iceland.
Follow @aldisfirman @laymybrand
