在公路上吃草的绵羊，冰岛 Sheep graze along a road, Iceland (© Matthew Kuhns/Tandem Stills + Motion)

在公路上吃草的绵羊，冰岛 Sheep graze along a road, Iceland (© Matthew Kuhns/Tandem Stills + Motion)

今天冰岛人在庆祝什么? What are Icelanders celebrating today?

First day of summer

After long—very long—winter nights, it's not surprising that the First Day of Summer is cause for a big celebration in Iceland. The public holiday falls on the first Thursday after April 18, and launches Harpa, the first summer month of the old Norse calendar that was followed by the country's first inhabitants. The year was split into just two seasons back then—summer and winter—which explains why Sumardagurinn Fyrsti, the First Day of Summer, falls in chilly April. Indeed, folklore has it that if you put a dish of water outside the night before the holiday and it freezes, you'll have a good summer. Regardless of temperature, the holiday does herald the arrival of those famously long days with little darkness, a welcome relief after the light-deprived winter months.

So how do Icelanders celebrate the First Day of Summer? Well, they take part in flag-waving local parades, listen to marching bands, and enjoy outdoor games and sports with family and friends. There's a tradition of giving summer gifts ('sumargjafir'), and those are often connected to outdoor activities—maybe a bike or a soccer ball, or new clothes—to encourage children to play together in the fresh air after the long, frigid winter. And of course, what celebration would be complete without food? The holiday gets people cranking up the barbecue and gathering for 'summer' food, even though the average high temperature in April is in the 40s. Getting cold watching a parade? Icelandic crepes with thick cream and jam inside will warm you up. Feeling chilly but you're determined to think 'summer'? Join the hardy Icelanders who make ice cream a First Day of Summer must-have.

初夏

在漫长的冬夜之后，不足为奇的是，夏天的第一天是冰岛举行盛大庆祝活动的原因。公共假日在4月18日之后的第一个星期四，并推出了哈帕，这是古挪威历法中的第一个夏季月份，随后是该国的第一批居民。这一年分为两个季节，分别是夏季和冬季，这也解释了为什么Sumardagurinn Fyrsti，夏季的第一天，会在寒冷的四月降临。事实上，民间传说，如果你在假期前一天晚上把一盘水放在外面，水结冰了，你就会有一个美好的夏天。不管气温如何，这个节日确实预示着那些以漫长而黑暗少著称的日子的到来，在光线不足的冬季几个月后，这是一种受欢迎的解脱。

那么冰岛人如何庆祝夏天的第一天呢？嗯，他们参加挥舞国旗的地方游行，听游行乐队，和家人朋友一起享受户外游戏和运动。有一种传统是赠送夏季礼物（“sumargjafir”），这些礼物通常与户外活动有关，比如自行车或足球，或者新衣服，以鼓励孩子们在漫长寒冷的冬天后在新鲜空气中一起玩耍。当然，没有食物，什么样的庆祝活动才算完整？尽管4月的平均高温在40多度，但这个节日还是会让人们开始烧烤，并聚在一起吃“夏季”食物。看游行会感冒吗？冰岛薄饼里面有厚厚的奶油和果酱会让你暖和起来。感觉很冷，但你决定去想“夏天”？加入坚韧不拔的冰岛人的行列吧，他们把冰淇淋作为夏季的第一天必备品。