Sumardagurinn Fyrsti – Celebrating Summer's Arrival
- Shaune Jonasson
- 18 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
By Shaune Jonasson
Summer will soon be approaching, at least in Iceland, according to the Norse calendar. It will begin on the first day of Harpa, the next month of the Norse calendar. Unlike many of us in North America who live through four seasons, the Icelandic year has only two: vetur (winter) and sumar (summer). So, after six months of winter, is it any wonder festivals occur to celebrate the arrival of summer? Bring it on!
Sumardagurinn Fyrsti has been celebrated since the earliest Icelandic records of the 9th century. It welcomes the arrival of summer and closes the period of long, dark winters. Summer brings warmth, greenery, growth, and life. In fact, people in Iceland attributed their age to the number of winters they had survived rather than to their date of birth.
In addition, as the name Harpa is believed to reference a girl’s name, the first day of Harpa is also known as “yngismeyjardagur” or “Maiden’s Day.” Young lads are courteous and welcoming to the maidens, showering attention on them. This balances with the lads having had their day during Einmánuður, the month that precedes Harpa.
In 2025, summer begins on Thursday, the 24th of April. This is also the first day of the month of Harpa from the Norse calendar. The First Day of Summer always begins on a Thursday between the 19th and 25th of April.
Sumardagurinn Fyrsti received official holiday designation in 1971. Communities come together in celebration with special parades where the Icelandic flag prominently leads brass bands and folks through the streets. The many activities are accompanied by traditional Icelandic dishes. Íslenskt þorramatur is an assortment of food, including smoked lamb, fermented shark, dried fish, and preserved foods that were prepared and stored for the winter months.
Gift giving is synonymous with celebrations. Sumardagurinn Fyrsti is no different. Dating back to the 16th century, Summer Gifts were presented and, even in the 19th century, these gifts were more common than those given at Christmas. If you consider that age was calculated by the number of winters one survived, then it is readily understandable and appropriate to bestow gifts on this day. With the more contemporary practice of celebrating actual birthdays, for example, fewer gifts are given on Sumardagurinn Fyrsti, but you will hear many greetings of “happy summer”.
There are numerous migratory birds that return to Iceland after the winter. Of these, the Golden Plover is deemed the harbinger of Iceland’s return of summer. It is estimated that about one-third of the world’s plover population settles or nests in Iceland. Each year, the arrival of the first Golden Plover, often occurring before the First Day of Summer, is announced in the national newspapers. Nonetheless, its arrival sparks enthusiasm and hope for those warmer and brighter days. Perhaps it is akin to those of us in Canada and the northern USA who, as winter wanes, get excited when we see the first robin.
The Puffin and the Whimbrel are also early summer arrivals, often arriving at the end of April. It is believed that there are several million Puffins in Iceland. As well, Iceland boasts the largest population of Whimbrel, almost half of the world’s population.
Myths often influence tradition. The night Summer arrives, it is a good omen when the Winter and Summer “freeze together”. For many years, folks would fill a small container with water and place it outside in a sheltered area to see if it would freeze with the colder temperatures. Frozen water the next morning would indicate a long and warm summer was ahead.
Fortunes were told during the first summer moon, being the first full moon after Easter. Once the first full summer moon was witnessed, the person remained silent, awaiting to be addressed. The first words spoken to break the silence would be the indicator of whether good or ill will was ahead for the receiver.
Sumardagurinn Fyrsti celebrates renewal, bringing hope and light to the people of Iceland. May you enjoy your First Day of Summer, and may the days of summer be long and warm.
Gleðilegt sumar!
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