Easter in Iceland is a time that many Icelanders look forward to because they get a long holiday, and they get to indulge in even more chocolate, sugary drinks, and delicious food. Here is what you should know before visiting during this holiday.

For most people around the world that celebrate Easter, this holiday is very religious. While more than 260,000 Icelanders are registered as Lutheran, most of them are not religious nor is Easter in Iceland centered around religious activities.

Keep in mind that there are about 377,000 people that live in the country. One of the reasons many Icelanders are registered as Lutheran, is that it used to be that as soon as a person was born in the country, they were automatically registered to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland.

It’s important to understand that Spring in Iceland is about the days getting longer and not about blooming flowers or even the weather being that much warmer. I suggest packing clothing that is appropriate for winter. If you need help with what to pack, you can download my free Ultimate Packing Checklist. It has individual lists for summer and winter.

It is possible to see the Northern Lights during March and April. However, as the days continue to get longer and brighter, the possibility of seeing them diminishes greatly. It helps to check the Icelandic Meteorological Office’s page about the level of Aurora activity here. Even during the darkest days of winter, it’s not guaranteed that you will see them. It helps to keep that in mind, so you can manage your expectations

You can purchase the food I mentioned and chocolate eggs in Iceland in any of the major grocery stores, such as Krónan, Bónus, Hagkaup, and Nettó, but alcohol has to be purchased at a vínbúðin.

Due to the long holiday, many stores are either closed or have limited hours. I highly recommend checking websites of places to see what their hours will be during Easter.

If you would like an adorable Icelandic Easter themed gift for you or a loved on this season, check out the Easter mug on the All Things Iceland Merch shop.

Gleðilega Páska – Happy Easter

Föstudagurinn langi – The Long Friday

In the podcast episode, I share how having fun on Long Friday in Iceland was pretty much illegal. A law was changed in 2019, so that is not the case any longer but it’s fascinating to know that people were not allowed to sing, dance, drink or doing anything fun on that day.

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