It’s Always Christmas in Akureyri

Maybe it’s because of the long, dark winters, when any scrap of joy or warmth is especially appreciated, but Christmas is a very big deal in Iceland. And nowhere is the Christmas spirit so strong as in Akureyri, where it’s celebrated all year round.

Jólagarðurinn, or the Christmas Garden, is found about ten minutes south of Akureyri. Halldor (from Fab Travel) insisted that we visit, after I had accidentally betrayed my anti-Christmas views. He was shocked. “How can you not love Christmas?” He...