First Day of Summer
First Day of Summer | |
---|---|
Official name | sumardagurinn fyrsti |
Observed by | Iceland |
Date | first Thursday after 18 April |
2017 date | 20 April |
2018 date | 19 April |
2019 date | 25 April |
2020 date | 23 April |
Frequency | annual |
The First Day of Summer (sumardagurinn fyrsti) is an annual public holiday in Iceland held on the first Thursday after 18 April and between April 19th to April 25th. In former times, the Icelanders used the Old Norse calendar which divided the year into only two seasons, winter and summer. The people counted their age in winters rather than in years. It is not a religious holiday, but before 1744, mass was held on this day. Although the climate in late April cannot be considered to be summer-like, after the long winter, Icelanders still celebrate this first day of "summer" with parades, sporting events and organized entertainment, held in various places around Iceland.
See also
References
This article is issued from
Wikipedia.
The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike.
Additional terms may apply for the media files.