2025 Heritage Tour and Emigration Port Ceremonies

Two busloads of IR volunteers and members have just returned from Iceland as we traveled for twelve unforgettable days of heritage, fellowship, and remembrance. This journey—our second major heritage tour—was filled with meaningful encounters, moving ceremonies, and moments of joy that reminded us why our mission matters: to preserve the past, strengthen the present, and inspire the future.

Day 1: A Presidential Welcome

Our journey began with an extraordinary honor: a private visit with Iceland’s President, Halla Tómasdóttir. She shared how her “life-changing” experience at the Icelandic Festival in Manitoba earlier this year deepened her appreciation for the Western Icelandic community. Speaking warmly of Icelandic Roots, she praised our work for its virtues of positive pluralism—proud of heritage, yet inclusive of all interested in Icelandic culture and history.

President Halla encouraged us to tell our stories as Western Icelanders, and we did. We spoke about why Icelandic culture continues to matter in today’s world, and about the enduring ties between Icelanders and their descendants abroad. It was an inspiring start to our tour.

Day 2: Eyrarbakki Port Ceremony

We first stopped at the Geothermal Exhibition at Hellisheiðavirkjun. Everyone enjoyed learning more about this important place. We traveled to Eyrarbakki for lunch at the Rauða Húsið. Then, our first Emigration Port Ceremony took place. This is where those first emigrants left for Wisconsin in 1870. Unlike many who followed, they had financial means and left for adventure, yet their generosity toward poorer newcomers left a lasting legacy.

At Eyrarbakki, we dedicated a bench with a plaque in their memory at The Húsið museum, where many of the pioneer leaders and ministers started their journey. Speeches from community and museum leaders, as well as IR president Sunna Furstenau, emphasized the importance of honoring those first adventurers who helped countless others.

After the ceremony, participants gathered for coffee, treats, and conversation before continuing to Skálholt for a tour of the church, Jón Arason Cairn, and the area. This is the place where Jón Arason - I134105, our ancestor, was beheaded in 1550 for refusing to relinquish his Catholic faith.

📌 What is an Emigration Port Ceremony? Emigration Port Ceremonies are unique Icelandic Roots projects that create, design, and fund permanent plaques and storyboards at historic departure ports across Iceland. These plaques honor the nearly 17,000 emigrants who left between 1854 and 1914, often facing poverty, hunger, and uncertainty. Each ceremony includes speeches, music, and community gatherings that connect today’s descendants with the journeys of their ancestors.

Emigration Ports In 2023, we honored Seyðisfjörður, Vopnafjörður, Sauðárkrókur, and Borðeyri. In 2025, we honored Eyrarbakki, Stykkishólmur, and Húsavík.

Day 3: Þingvellir and the Sagas

At Þingvellir, the birthplace of the world’s oldest continuous parliament, our group stood where Sagas were lived and laws were proclaimed. Our IR volunteers shared stories from the Laxdaela Saga, including the romance of Olafur Peacock and Thorgerd, a tale that echoes the themes of dignity, heritage, and choice.

We visited Reykholt, the home of Snorri Sturluson. Then we visited Deildartunguhver Hot Springs and took a soak at the Krauma Spa. The day also brought Icelandic horses, wildflowers, hot springs, trolls, music, and laughter—an immersion in both nature and story.

Day 4: Stykkishólmur Port Ceremony

On Snæfellsnes, we learned about Rauðfeldur’s Ravine and Sölvi’s Cliff, landmarks tied to the tragic saga of Bárður Snæfellsás, as well as a visit to one of our favorite ancestors, Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir's birthplace. The weather was spectacular!

After lunch, we arrived in Stykkishólmur for our second Emigration Port Ceremony. This event was deeply personal. Sunna shared a 2006 story of helping two North Dakota women trace their great-grandfather, only to discover that an Icelander, Sigþór, on a tour bus who shared the very same ancestor who emigrated to the area in 1887. She was able to connect them for a lifetime of stories, photos, and connections.

Now, nearly twenty years after her grandfather discovered his cousins in North Dakota, Hjördís worked with Sunna to create the beautiful plaque at the Stykkishólmur harbor, bringing the story full circle. As the plaque was unveiled, Icelanders and Western Icelanders joined together in song, pastries, smoked lamb, and celebration.

📊 Fast Facts: Icelandic Emigration (1854–1914)

• Nearly 17,000 Icelanders emigrated during this period.

• Many left due to famine, volcanic eruptions, and poor farm conditions.

• Primary, early destinations were the USA (Utah, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Dakota Territory) and Canada (Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan).

• Today, their descendants are spread all across North America.

  
  

Days 5–7: Northern Iceland

Traveling north, the group visited the Textile Museum at Blönduós, the turf church at Gröf, the bishopric of the north at Hólar, and Hofsós in Skagafjörður. At Brimnes, poet Bill Holm’s former cottage, we reflected on his writings and the westward view that inspired his book Windows of Brimnes. We had a great visit in Siglufjörður and the Herring Museum and took in all the sights along the way.

Day 7 was a free day in Akureyri, during which people engaged in a variety of activities. A highlight was meeting Philip Roughton, a prominent and award-winning translator with numerous accolades. He is a frequent honored guest at the Icelandic Roots Book Club and a good friend to Icelandic Roots. He will be with us on October 2nd to hear from Philip and to discuss his translation of Halldór Laxness's book, Iceland's Bells.

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Day 8:

This day was packed to the brim! We headed north and first visited the Laufas turf house and church. This is the location where several people on our tour had direct ancestors and the museum guide was closely related to them, too!

Húsavík, Þingeyjarsýsla, was where we held our third Emigration Port Ceremony—an emotional day honoring the poorest emigrants who left from this region. Speeches from Sunna Furstenau, Cathy Josephson, the mayor, and museum leaders moved the crowd.

We all sang together in English and Icelandic "Hvað er svo glatt sem góðra vina fundur - What is as joyful as a gathering of good friends" led by Doreen Borgfjord McFarlane.

We were able to tour the Maritime Museum, see the Emigration Port plaques on the round column at the entrance to the museum, and visit Goðafoss.

Dinner was held at Jaðar Bistro, with both buses, plus our volunteers who live in the north and east of Iceland, joining in the fun.

Day 9-10: Historic and Natural Sites

Friday, we explored areas in north Iceland as we made our way west. The first stop was at the K.N. Július monument. Icelandic Roots made a significant contribution to this project in 2017.

The mayor of Akureyri, plus many other city officials, joined us on a misty morning. They thanked us for our good works and Sharron was able to discover her close connection to the mayor!

We then visited the Kristnes Hælið tuberculosis museum where we had coffee, cakes, and learned so much from my cousin, María, who started the museum.

Next was the Christmas Store, Kakalaskáli, Viðimyrarkirkja, Glaumbær, and the Stephan G. Stephansson monument for this wonderful photo.

The next day we explored significant cultural exhibits in Dalasýsla: Riishús - where we are always treated so graciously with coffee, kleinur, pönnukökkur, and the friendship that lasts across generations. We heard from Kristín about the history of Riishús and she thanked us for the Heritage Grant to restore Riishús and for the Emigration Port Ceremony in 2023.

Then we went to Krosshólaborg, Hvammur, Vinlandssetur, Eiríksstaðir, Grabók, and Glanni waterfalls.

Day 11–12: Literature and Learning

The final days brought us to Borg, the farm of our ancestor, Egill Skallagrímsson, and the home of Nobel laureate, Halldór Laxness. The afternoon was a wonderful conference in Reykjavík for the Icelandic National League - Þjóðræknísfélag Íslendinga, where leaders from across Iceland, Canada, and the U.S. gathered with Icelandic Roots representatives and our friends from Annríki National Costumes and Jewelry.

Icelandic Roots provided a reception after the conference for everyone on the two buses, IR volunteers from Iceland, INL and Snorri Board of Directors, and local leaders. IR volunteer and favorite of all, Bryndís Viglundsdóttir, delivered a beautiful and moving speech. All enjoyed the meal and friendship. There was so much joy and companionship, and we all wished the night would never end.

Our journey concluded on Monday at the Árni Magnússon Institute. Professor Gísli Sigurðsson led our tour, and he helped us explore the amazing manuscripts and the remarkable Saga stories. One of them is the Melsted Edda—a treasure that was once carried to North America and is now returned to Iceland’s National Library.

Building Bridges Across Oceans

The 2025 heritage tour and Emigration Port Ceremonies were not just about places and plaques. They were about people—ancestors who left, descendants who return, and communities that welcome.

Through our travels across the beautiful landscape, we honored nearly 17,000 emigrants who departed Iceland between 1854 and 1914 through speeches, songs, stories, and shared meals. Just as importantly, we strengthened the ties between people in Iceland and the descendants of Icelandic emigrants in North America—a living connection between those who left and those who stayed, strengthened by our Icelandic Roots project, “Cousins Across the Ocean,” and our guiding theme: "Preserve the Past, Strengthen the Present, and Inspire the Future."

This journey brought joy, meaning, and healing. It reminded us that history is alive when shared, and that every name, every story, and every connection matters. At Icelandic Roots, we work every day to preserve our shared story through programs, projects, and events—but the Emigration Port Ceremonies hold a special place, bringing that story to life in the very places where the journeys began. Standing together with Icelanders at the water’s edge, we could feel the courage of those who departed and the sorrow of those who stayed behind. Tears were common, flowing freely as stories were told, songs were sung, and names were remembered. These ceremonies not only honor the past, they also strengthen the living bonds between descendants in North America and families in Iceland, showing us that our heritage is not just something to remember—it is a bond we keep alive and strengthen for future generations.