An extra Sunday edition today, looking at the winter solstice, and what it has meant in Iceland.

3.03pm on Sunday 21 December marks the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere this year.

The winter solstice is the moment the Sun appears to stand still, directly above the Tropic of Capricorn. It leaves the northern hemisphere with less sunlight and consequently its maximum amount of darkness.

It's a rather special time in Iceland, as Björk Bjarnadóttir (https://www.ruv.is/english/2024-12-13-ruv-english-radio-at-christmas-and-new-year-430835), environmental folklorist and ethnologist, explains to Darren.

RÚV English Radio is heard around the world and in Iceland, and covers everything Icelandic, in English.

Let us know where in the world you're listening to RÚV English Radio - we'd love to give you a mention! Email [email protected]

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RÚV English Radio, from Iceland's national broadcasting service, RÚV.

Today on RÚV English Radio, some more bite-sized Icelandic language learning, in the latest weekly episode of Auðskilið.

Each week, as part of our regular programming, RÚV English Radio hopes to assist with the learning of Icelandic.

In weekly shows, called Auðskilið - which means "easily understood" - you can follow along with a recent news story, written and read in a simple form of Icelandic.

Here's today's episode, where we preview Jól!

Here's the text, to follow along:

Í næstu viku eru jólin.

Í gamla daga skreyttu margir Íslendingar ekki heima hjá sér fyrr en á Þorláksmessu.

Þorláksmessa er til minningar um Þorlák helga Þórhallsson, aðaldýrling Íslands. Hann dó árið 1193, þann 23. desember.

Sá dagur er þekktur sem Þorláksmessa.

Margir segja enn að þá byrji jólin í raun og veru.

Skata, kæstur og lyktandi fiskur er vanalega borðaður á þeim degi.

Næsta dag, 24. desember byrja jólin formlega klukkan sex um kvöldið.

Dagurinn er kallaður aðfangadagur.

Kvöldverður fyrir fjölskylduna er um kvöldið 24. - ekki þann 25.

Ólíkt mörgum löndum, þá opna Íslendingar jólagjafirnar um kvöldið 24. desember, vanalega eftir kvöldmatinn.

Á Íslandi er 25. desember kallaður jóladagur, og er mun rólegri og afslappaðri en 24. desember.

Flestir eru heima, slappa af og njóta rólegs morguns eftir hátíðina kvöldið áður.

Síðan er 26. desember kallaður annar í jólum.

Hann er líka almennur frídagur og er endirinn á aðal jóladögunum.

Margar búðir, kaffihús, veitingahús, bíó og sundlaugar opna aftur eða eru opin á sérstökum tíma yfir hátíðina.

Frá öllum hér á RÚV English - gleðileg jól!

RÚV English Radio is heard around the world and in Iceland, and covers everything Icelandic, in English.

Let us know where in the world you're listening to RÚV English Radio - we'd love to give you a mention! Email [email protected]

Find this and previous shows & podcasts here, Spotify, Apple, and all podcast places. Find us on Facebook too.

RÚV English Radio, from Iceland's national broadcasting service, RÚV.

RÚV English Radio's festive schedule kicks off with a look around at our Jól decorations!

Kristín Vala Breiðfjörð is head of Heimilisiðnaðarfélag Íslands - The Icelandic Handicraft Association. Who better to guide Darren through the look and feel of an Icelandic jól?

RÚV English Radio is heard around the world and in Iceland, and covers everything Icelandic, in English.

Let us know where in the world you're listening to RÚV English Radio - we'd love to give you a mention! Email [email protected]

Find this and previous shows & podcasts here, Spotify, Apple, and all podcast places. Find us on Facebook too.

RÚV English Radio, from Iceland's national broadcasting service, RÚV.

Today, RÚV English Radio is in the town of Seyðisfjörður, in the east of Iceland.

The Technical Museum (https://tekmus.is/en/) tells many stories of transformations.

Today, how the second world war echoes down through the decades here, and the contribution made by working women to the town around the turn of the 20th century.

Darren makes the last of three visits to the museum today, in the company of Katla Rut Pétursdóttir.

RÚV English Radio is heard around the world and in Iceland, and covers everything Icelandic, in English.

Let us know where in the world you're listening to RÚV English Radio - we'd love to give you a mention! Email [email protected]

Find this and previous shows & podcasts here, Spotify, Apple, and all podcast places. Find us on Facebook too.

RÚV English Radio, from Iceland's national broadcasting service, RÚV.

Today, RÚV English Radio is in the town of Seyðisfjörður, in the east of Iceland.

The Technical Museum (https://tekmus.is/en/) tells many stories of transformations. Today, the major landslide in 2020 which severely damaged the museum itself, and the impact of avalanches and landslides here in the east.

Darren makes the second of three visits to the museum today, in the company of Katla Rut Pétursdóttir.

RÚV English Radio is heard around the world and in Iceland, and covers everything Icelandic, in English.

Let us know where in the world you're listening to RÚV English Radio - we'd love to give you a mention! Email [email protected]

Find this and previous shows & podcasts here, Spotify, Apple, and all podcast places. Find us on Facebook too.

RÚV English Radio, from Iceland's national broadcasting service, RÚV.

Today on RÚV English Radio, it's a new episode of The Week In Iceland.

Darren is joined by his RÚV colleague Haukur Holm.

RÚV English Radio is heard around the world and in Iceland, and covers everything Icelandic, in English.

Let us know where in the world you're listening to RÚV English Radio - we'd love to give you a mention! Email [email protected]

Find this and previous shows & podcasts here, Spotify, Apple, and all podcast places. Find us on Facebook too.

RÚV English Radio, from Iceland's national broadcasting service, RÚV.

Today, RÚV English Radio is in the town of Seyðisfjörður, in the east of Iceland.

The Technical Museum (https://tekmus.is/en/) tells many stories of transformations: the importance of technology in this part of Iceland, the contribution made by working women to the town around the turn of the 20th century, and of course, the major landslide in 2020 which severely damaged the museum itself.

Darren makes the first of three upcoming visits today, in the company of Katla Rut Pétursdóttir.

RÚV English Radio is heard around the world and in Iceland, and covers everything Icelandic, in English.

Let us know where in the world you're listening to RÚV English Radio - we'd love to give you a mention! Email [email protected]

Find this and previous shows & podcasts here, Spotify, Apple, and all podcast places. Find us on Facebook too.

RÚV English Radio, from Iceland's national broadcasting service, RÚV.

Today on RÚV English Radio, some more bite-sized Icelandic language learning, in the latest weekly episode of Auðskilið.

Each week, as part of our regular programming, RÚV English Radio hopes to assist with the learning of Icelandic.

In weekly shows, called Auðskilið - which means "easily understood" - you can follow along with a recent news story, written and read in a simple form of Icelandic.

Here's today's text, about Japanese zoos requesting Icelandic puffins:

https://www.ruv.is/audskilid/2025-12-01-japan-vildi-fa-lunda-460331

Njóttu!

RÚV English Radio is heard around the world and in Iceland, and covers everything Icelandic, in English.

Let us know where in the world you're listening to RÚV English Radio - we'd love to give you a mention! Email [email protected]

Find this and previous shows & podcasts here, Spotify, Apple, and all podcast places. Find us on Facebook too.

RÚV English Radio, from Iceland's national broadcasting service, RÚV.

Today on RÚV English Radio, the new exhibition opening this Friday.

An exhibition (https://borgarsogusafn.is/en/events/opnun-utskriftarsyning-ljosmyndaskolans-670867) featuring the graduation works of students who just have completed their diploma in Creative Photography from the School of Photography, begins on 12 December at 4pm. It opens and runs at Reykjavík Museum of Photography until 11 January, and admission is free.

Darren spoke to one of the students, Íris Hadda.

RÚV English Radio is heard around the world and in Iceland, and covers everything Icelandic, in English.

Let us know where in the world you're listening to RÚV English Radio - we'd love to give you a mention! Email [email protected]

Find this and previous shows & podcasts here, Spotify, Apple, and all podcast places. Find us on Facebook too.

RÚV English Radio, from Iceland's national broadcasting service, RÚV.

Today, RÚV English Radio is in Fáskrúðsfjörður, in the Eastfjords of Iceland.

Fáskrúðsfjörður has a historical link to French influence due to the presence of French fishermen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who established a station in the area for processing and salting fish. The remnants of these structures, including some houses and buildings, are known locally as the "French houses."

Darren was guided around this remarkable site (https://www.fjardabyggd.is/menning/sofn/frakkar-a-islandsmidum) by Árni Pétur Árnason.

You can visit beyond summer opening hours by appointment - [email protected]

RÚV English Radio is heard around the world and in Iceland, and covers everything Icelandic, in English.

Let us know where in the world you're listening to RÚV English Radio - we'd love to give you a mention! Email [email protected]

Find this and previous shows & podcasts here, Spotify, Apple, and all podcast places. Find us on Facebook too.

RÚV English Radio, from Iceland's national broadcasting service, RÚV.