Mayor of Reykjavík Dagur B. Eggertsson cut down a pine tree selected by the Reykjavík Forestry Association this week, which will be donated as a Christmas tree to Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, to honor the relationship between the two capitals.
This is a new tradition which started last year. The tree will be shipped to Torshavn by transport company Eimskip, as stated in the mayor’s weekly newsletter.
The Reykjavík Forestry Association has marked a ‘Christmas forest’ in the capital’s outdoor recreation area Heiðmörk, where families can come during the Advent and cut down their own Christmas tree. The practice is enjoying increasing popularity in Iceland.
There is a long tradition for Oslo donating a Christmas tree to Reykjavík, which stands on Austurvöllur square and is lit in a special ceremony at the beginning of Advent.
It looked as if the tradition had come to an end but in September Mayor of Oslo Fabian Stang sent a letter to Dagur saying that he would like for the tradition to continue. The Oslo tree will therefore continue to grace Austurvöllur in the Advent.
