Iceland

Symbols
Flag of Iceland Coat of arms is a cross of silver on a sky-blue shield, with a fire-red cross inside the silver cross

The "Lady of the Mountain" (Fjallkonan) is the female incarnation (national personification) of Iceland. While she symbolised what Icelanders considered to be genuine and purely Icelandic, in her purity she reflected a deep-seated, but unattainable, wish of Icelanders to be a totally independent nation.

Language
Iceland's official written and spoken language is Icelandic, a North Germanic language descended from Old Norse.

Culture
The culture of Iceland is rich and varied as well as being known for its literary heritage which stems from authors from the 12th to 14th centuries. Other Icelandic traditional arts include weaving, silver crafting, and wood carving. The Reykjavk area has several professional theatres, a symphony orchestra, an opera, and a large amount of art galleries, bookstores, cinemas, and museums. There are also four active folk dance ensemble in Iceland. Iceland's literacy rate is among the highest in the world, and a love of literature, art, chess, and other intellectual pursuits is widespread. Icelanders generally have a traditional liberal Nordic outlook, similar to other Nordic countries such as Norway and Sweden. Yet, an important key to understanding Icelanders and their culture (and which differentiates them from the majority of their contemporary Nordic peoples) is the high importance they place on the traits of independence and self-sufficiency. Icelanders are proud of their Viking heritage and Icelandic language and take great care to preserve their traditions and language. Modern Icelandic remains close to the Old Norse spoken in the Viking Age. For example, the word for computer (an introduced object) is tlva which combines the ancient terms for number and seer. Until the Christianisation of Iceland, many traditional Viking beliefs were strongly held, remnants of which remain today. According to a 2005 New York Times article, the majority of Icelanders either believe in elves or are unwilling to rule out their existence. There are a number of accounts of roads that have been re-routed and building plans redesigned or abandoned to avoid disturbing rocks where elves are said to live. Icelandic society and culture has a high degree of gender equality, with many women in leadership positions in government and business. Iceland also has a highly progressive gay rights legislation, with couples having been able to register civil unions since 1996, adopt since 2006 and marry since 2010.

Women retain their names after marriage, since Icelanders generally do not use surnames but patronyms or (in certain cases) matronyms. Iceland also has the most extensive and progressive child protection law. The new Children's Act, passed in March 2003, and effective as of November 1, 2003, not only places Iceland on the list of twenty-five nations that have outlawed spanking, the act also outlaws verbal and emotional abuse and makes child protection a priority. Physical or mental violence is punishable by imprisonment and/or fine, and there is no legal defense. In 2006, Iceland was ranked as the fourth happiest nation in the world by an independent scientific study. Local and national festivals include the annual National Day, celebrating the country's independence in 1944, Sumardagurinn fyrsti which celebrates the first day of summer, and Sjmannadagurinn which is held every June to pay tribute to the country's seafaring past. Easily solved, you might think, but raincoats are somewhat of a taboo in Iceland. They are anything but fashionable and if you see a person wearing a raincoat in Iceland, its probably a foreigner.

Religion
Religion in Iceland was initially the Viking religion that believed in Norse mythology. Later the nation became halfChristian and then more fully Christian. This increasing Christianisation culminated in the Pietismperiod when non-Christian entertainments were discouraged. At present the population is overwhelmingly, if nominally, Lutheran. However there are also Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Muslims and others. There are also folk beliefs concerning elves that do not rise to the level of religion, but have gained some note.

Cuisine
Iceland offers wide varieties of traditional cuisine. orramatur (food of the orri) is the Icelandic national food. Nowadays orramatur is mostly eaten during the ancient Nordic month of orri, in January and February, as a tribute to old culture. orramatur consists of many different types of food. These are mostly offal dishes like pickled ram's testicles, putrefied shark, singed sheep heads, singed sheep head jam, blood pudding, liver sausage (similar to Scottish haggis) and dried fish (often cod or haddock) with or without butter. Much of the cuisine centres around Iceland's fishing industry. Traditional dishes include Hkarl (putrefied shark), gravlax (salmon marinated in salt and dill), hangikjt (smoked lamb), hrtspungar (pickled ram's testicles), and sltur (sausages made from sheep entrails). A popular food is skyr made of cultured skim milk, in the summer time it may be served with bilberries as a dessert. Brennivin is an Icelandic liquor made from potatoes and caraway.