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Icelandic and American Traditions By: Torii Nienow Grade: 11 Club: A-1 American Traditions (Amerískar Hefðir) Groundhogs Day

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Icelandic and American Traditions By: Torii Nienow Grade: 11 Club: A-1 American Traditions (Amerískar Hefðir) Groundhogs Day Global Connections: Icelandic and American Traditions By: Torii Nienow Grade: 11 Club: A-1 American Traditions (Amerískar Hefðir) Groundhogs Day Every year, on February 2nd , Americans look to “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather-Prophet Extraordinary" to see how long we have until spring. This tradition started in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania in 1886. The roots of this holiday trace back to Candlemas, a Christian feast day. Germany created their own interpretation of the holiday by incorporating small rodents, especially the hedgehog. When early German immigrants began coming to the United States, settlers needed to find a new burrowing animal to consult, and later decided on the groundhog. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-groundhog-day-2707298 Using the Imperial System of Measurements There are only three countries in the world that mostly use the Imperial System of Measurements: Liberia, Myanmar, and the United States. Meanwhile, the Metric System of Measurements is used in nearly every other country and in scientific research and studies. The Imperial System that the United States Uses is based on an older version from Great Britain (the UK actually uses a mixed system of both Imperial and Metric Systems of Measurements). But the United States might be more metric than you think. On July 27, 1866, the Senate passed the Metric Act, and the law was intended to convert America to a metric system. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/america-has-been-struggling-metric-system-almost-230-years-18096 4147/ Halloween & Trick-or-Treating There are many different countries that have customs similar to each other around the time of when they believe the lines between life and death are blurred. Halloween, as Americans know it, comes from the combination of multiple traditions mixing together when immigrants came to the US. By combining Christianity and Irish and Scottish traditions, the ghoulish night of Halloween was born. Only the countries of Ireland, Canada, and the United States of America celebrate by dressing up in costumes and going door to door asking “trick-or-treat” in exchange for candy. https://www.history.com/news/halloween-trick-or-treating-origins Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States. The first Thanksgiving celebration at Plymouth occurred in November 1621. And while George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving from the new American government in 1789, it wasn’t until almost 75 year later did Thanksgiving become a nationally observed holiday. In 1827, the author Sarah Josepha Hale began her 36 year campaign for Thanksgiving. Finally, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln proclaim the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving Folktales American folklore, much like the rest of American traditions, is a mixture between many different cultures. WIth influences from Native American and Polynesian tribes, enslaved Africans, and European settlers. Some of the most famous American folklore tales include the tales of Davy Crockett, John Henry, Johnny Appleseed, the Maid of the Mist, Princess Scargo, and Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Some famous creatures from American folklore include the Jersey Devil, the Menehune, the Jackalope, the Wendigo, and of course, the Sasquatch. https://brilliantmaps.com/mythical-creatures/ https://brilliantmaps.com/mythical-creatures/ Íslenskar Hefðir (Icelandic Traditions) Réttir While the song “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men was released in 2000, Icelanders have been letting their sheep out for generations. Réttir is one of the oldest traditions in Iceland. Icelandic farmers allow their sheep to roam the island’s countryside during the late spring and summer months. After the few months of freedom, the sheep are rounded up by the farmers, their friends, family, and anyone who’s interested in participating. The annual round up is called Réttir, and is a very important and exciting tradition. The first round-up typically occurs during early September and they will continue throughout the country until early October. After a day of scouting the countryside, participants will spend the night celebrating with traditional songs and dances at the nearest “Réttaball”or “round-up shindig”. https://visitreykjavik.is/news/rettir-annual-sheep-round Þorrablót Þorrablót is a festival that occurs during the month of Thorri, which is the fourth winter month on the Icelandic calendar (mid January to mid February). Þorri is a legendary Icelandic King and the personification of frost and winter. During this festival, people come together to eat, drink, and have fun. The menu typically consists of traditional Icelandic foods. Some of the foods include blóðmör (which is congealed sheep’s blood wrapped in a ram’s stomach), svið (which is boiled sheep’s head), hákarl (which is fermented Greenland and other sleeper sharks), and Lundabaggi (which is a cured roll of lamb’s flank, it can be eaten cured or salted and smoked) https://www.whatson.is/whats-on-the-menu-during-thorri/ https://www.extremeiceland.is/en/blog/3253-the-icelandic-thorri Folklore Since the first settlers came to Iceland, Icelanders have used stories to explain strange occurrences or things they didn’t understand. During the long winter nights (which typically last 19 hours), stories and folktales were told to help pass the time. Each of the four regions had its own library of tales that were passed down from generation to generation. Many of the creatures involved in there tales were trolls, ghosts, land wights, and elves (or Huldufólk “hidden people”). Some of the most popular trolls in Icelandic lore are the Thirteen Yule Lads and their child devouring cat. More recently, the thirteen trolls have undertaken the role of Santa Claus. The folklore also has had an impact on their government. On all of the island’s coins, you can see the four land wight protectors of Iceland. https://guidetoiceland.is/history-culture/folklore-in-iceland#the-yule-lads-of-iceland Öskudagur Celebrated on the same day as Christianity’s Ash Wednesday, Öskudagur (which literally translates to “Ashes Day”) this holiday takes a whole new meaning in the island nation. Originally, the day was celebrated closer to its Christian roots with people attending church and receiving the cross of ashes on their forehead. However, over time, the holiday has lost its traditional meaning, and it is now celebrated by children dressing up and singing for candy. Children will also try to pin as many small bags of ashes to innocent passersby without getting caught. https://grapevine.is/news/2019/03/06/oskudagur-2019-ash-wednesday-reykjavik/ Jón Einarsson Names The Icelandic naming tradition of patronymic (and even sometimes, the matronymic) system Ágúst Marta comes from traditional Scandinavia. In the Jónsson Jónsdóttir patronymic system, children will take the first name of their father and add the suffix -son (“son”) or dóttir (“daughter”). Another unique feature in Iceland’s naming traditions is the “Mannanafnanefnd” or Icelandic Naming Committee. This three person committee, that was established in 1991, is given the power to deem which names are or are not “acceptable Icelandic names”. Icelanders also have 6 months to officially name their child, and every day after the 6 month deadline results in a 1500 krona (or $15.00 USD) fine. https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/michael-chapman/the-mysterious-minds-of-the-icelandic-naming-committee Reflections on My Trip and My Project I went to Iceland in the summer of 2018. While working on this project, I was able to reflect on my time in the beautiful country. I had a lot of fun researching some of the traditions and customs of both my home country of the United States and the country that I made some of my best memories. There were so many American traditions that I didn’t know the origin and/or the history behind the custom/celebration. I wasn’t in the country during any of the celebrations that I have mentioned in my project, but I did see many groups of sheep out in the countryside before Réttir. Above is a picture of a pair of sheep near one of the hotels that I stayed at. I am so thankful that I am able to have these experiences and to meet people from all over the world. Learning and engaging in the cultures of others can help inspire empathy, instill a sense of wonder, and build a community of world citizens. .
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