**Never Miss a Blog Post: Subscribe to Icelandic Roots!**

Are you eager to stay informed about all things Icelandic? Look no further than the Icelandic Roots newsletter! Our dedicated team of authors and guest writers brings you insightful and engaging content on various topics related to Icelandic culture, history, travel, famous people, language, genealogy, and upcoming events.

Subscribe Today!

by Gunnar Birgisson Gunnar presents another Icelandic word to help us understand the finest that nature has to offer in Iceland. He takes us to its shores. Fjara is accurately translated as the intertidal zone of the shoreline. But there’s much more to a fjara than can be conveyed by such a sterile scientific description. The fjara is a place of wonder. But, before continuing, let me emphasize I’m not talking about the other, related meaning of the word. Fjara also means low

By Katrín Nielsdottir < Katrin.Nielsdottir@umanitoba.ca > The Icelandic language, verbal or written, holds importance not only for us to learn about our past, but to preserve the very same for our future. Katrín Nielsdottir, the Icelandic Liaison Librarian at The University of Manitoba, explains a recent online project regarding the preservation of the Icelandic language, produced through the Digital Museums of Canada. What does it mean to carry a language across an ocean—

by Gunnar Birgisson Few things are as emblematic of Icelandic culture as the public swimming pools that are found throughout the country. Whether in the Reykjavik region or any of the smaller towns spread throughout the country, these institutions provide the Icelandic public and foreign visitors with a wonderful amenity. These are iconic places that anyone can visit. Each one always has both a pool and some hot tubs. And there is the Sundlaugarvörður — the swimming pool guar

by Gunnar Birgisson A view of Reykjavik, December 2015 Photo Credit: Arbol01, Creative Commons This is the time of year we experience skammdegi . The days are short and the nights are long. It’s dark when you go to work and it’s dark when you come home. In between, you sip coffee while gazing through the window at the grayish day outside. It’s a long se

by Gunnar Birgisson Icelandic Roots welcomes a new guest writer, Gunnar Birgisson. He offers his thoughts about an interesting Icelandic...

By Gunnar Birgisson Icelandic Roots welcomes guest writer, Gunnar Birgisson. Gunnar presents an interesting Icelandic word and offers...

By Bryndís Vigundsdóttir On June 14th, 2025, 2,800 young men and women graduated with various degrees in learning and science from The...

By Doreen M McFarlane Ah, what can a person write about in regard to CHANGE? That is the question. Too many ideas come to mind. Which...

Icelandic Language Day is celebrated on November 16th

Note: Icelandic Language Day (dagur íslenskrar tungu, English: "day of the Icelandic tongue") is celebrated each year on November 16....

And that's a wrap! Brad Hirst, CEO of the Icelandic Camp, recaps the highlights and joys experienced at the 2023 Camp, the first after a...

Summer camp is a right of passage for most youngsters after school gets out at the end of June. Memories and friendships last a lifetime. Íslenskar Sumarbúðir is one such camp. by Shaune Jonasson It's summertime! A time when youngsters are out of school and looking forward to summer activities, which often means camp time. In our Icelandic community we have a special culture-based summer camp in Manitoba: ​​​Íslenskar Sumarbúðir or Icelandic Camp. Icelandic Camp began over

Editor's note: Laura Hackney wrote this report to give a sense of the valuable background information that is a part of the Snorri Plus...

The following article is submitted by the children of Michael and Daphne Fell: Peter Fell and Rachel Fell McDermott. They have made a...

By Sam Hodge My time in Iceland is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. Not in the sense that it will cast a shadow over my soul,...

“In many parts of the world, people entertain themselves on April 1. On that day, people try to tease and play a trick on family,...

By Douglas Hanson The worldwide pandemic has upturned all our lives in the past two years. What was once routine became difficult or even...

J.R.R Tolkien, the author of Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit, and more amazing tales studied the Icelandic language, read the Icelandic...

Written by Natalie Guttormsson Natalie is a Western-Icelander from Canada who currently lives in Reykjavík. She is passionate about...

Written by Elin de Ruyter Icelandic is a unique language with about 350,000 people worldwide being able to speak it. It is believed to be...