June Events, Holidays, and Celebrations
See all the special events, annual holidays, and special celebrations for June in the listings below. Today is Seaman's Day - Sjómannadagurinn!
Public Events for June
Tuesday, June 8th: INLUS Leifur Eiriksson Foundation Webinar
Saturday, June 12th:
The IR Fitness Challenge Begins! Choose the #1 Ring Road or the Golden Circle route. Registration is open and will last for 8 weeks. Travel virtually with us around Iceland. Learn More.
Icelandic Roots All-Access Member Events for June
Saturday, June 12th: Online Seminar for New Members and those who want to learn more about the IR Database and Community. To register: send an email.
Monday, June 14th and June 28th: Samtal Hour - Every other Monday, we offer a fun online event to discuss various topics. The link is sent by email to IR Members. Become an IR Member!
Tuesday, June 22nd:
Tuesday Tips is an educational online seminar where we feature updates, news, tips, and special features of the IR Database and Community. The meeting links is sent by email to All-Access Members. See the website to join or to learn more.
Today we celebrate Fisherman's Day - Sjómannadagurinn This annual holiday is usually on the first Sunday in June. It celebrates and honors Icelandic fishermen and sailors. The Festival of the Sea or Sjómannadagurinn is an important celebration across Iceland and attracts large groups of people. They take part in various activities, performances, strongman competitions, demonstrations of skill, and more.
June 8th - Fires of the Earth, Laki Volcano, and Eldmessa
In 1783, volcanic fissures opened up on each side of the Laki Volcano in southern Iceland. Our ancestors survived one of the greatest disasters of all time. About one-fifth of Iceland's population died from this catastrophe. You can read more here: Laki Volcano
June 17th - Iceland's National Day - Þjóðhátíðardagurinn
This day commemorates the independence day of The Republic of Iceland on 17 Jun 1944. Read more: Iceland's Road to Independence
Father's Day - June 20th
On this day, we honor fatherhood across the world. It is not a public holiday but a time to thank fathers and father figures for their devotion to family and raising their children. Iceland's Father's Day is celebrated in November.
Summer Solstice - Midsummer - June 20th and 21st
The longest days Icelandic days of sunlight are in June. June 20th is listed as the solstice day in Iceland and the 21st is listed as the start of summer in North America because it occurs at 11:32 pm Eastern time on the 20th.
Jónsmessa - June 24th - Magical Day in Icelandic Folklore
On this day, cows speak in human language, seals turn into humans, and there are special Magical Stones. You can be healed and make a wish if you roll around naked on dewy grass.
The religious holiday celebrated on this day is called Jónsmessa or St. John's Day to celebrate the birthday of St. John the Baptist. Many people across Scandinavia celebrate with bonfires and other festivities but Iceland did not have much wood to burn and this did not become tied to this day.
June 23 - 26th Akureyri Arctic Open Golf Tournament
This international event attracts golfers from around the world. Learn more.
The weather is getting warmer and the days longer. The volunteer team from Icelandic Roots continues to work on the database and community offerings every day. We are improving our data validation and have various projects that are making amazing progress. From the website, you can subscribe to the blog, the podcast, go see our videos on YouTube and Vimeo plus see our other social media channels.
We are in the process of forming a Writers Group which is for Members Only. We have so many items that are part of writing in Icelandic Roots. There are the Women and Children Stories, Blogs, various educational seminars and webinars, the Podcast, and other tasks where we write. If you are interested in joining, let us know.
The Saga project, Emigration project, Media Team, IR Places, new features, and other IT-related items have made amazing progress and are implemented into the database frequently. The Translation Team has updated the Index of Icelandic genealogy terms and their English meanings.
As always, you can see we are busy and having a lot of fun. Come and join us! We send to all of you the very best wishes for a safe and enjoyable summer.