Jun 17, 2018
Iceland National Day 2018
This Doodle’s Key Themes
The Republic of Iceland, was founded on this date in 1944, and every year the capital city of Reykjavík comes alive to celebrate that fact. With 17 hours of daylight, there’s no shortage of time to festivities.
In keeping with the popular Icelandic motto land, þjóð og tunga (“land, people, and language”), national day in Reykjavik incorporates all three as residents stroll through the streets. No national day precession is complete without a costumed, folkloric “Lady of the Mountain” to read poetry for the crowd.
If you’re out and about today, you’ll hear the upbeat rhythms of traditional folk songs ringing out all day and night. Many Icelanders will even begin celebrating in the evening leading up to national day, soaking up the revelry while eating popular street food like waffles.
The fluttering Icelandic flag on today’s Doodle reflects the island’s geographic features: red for the active volcanoes and white for the ice and snow, all surrounded by blue like the North Atlantic ocean.
Hamingjusamur þjóðdagur!
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