Christmas Day in Iceland is usually celebrated with a luncheon with the extended family. The traditional meal is hangikjöt (“smoked lamb”) with buttered laufabrauð (“leaf bread”) and a sweet béchamel sauce.
Laufabrauð. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
Traditional side dishes are boiled potatoes, fresh apples and green beans.
Some families are so big that they rent a venue for the occasion.
Parents may have saved a few presents for their children to open on Christmas Day. Afterwards young and old family members dance around the Christmas tree and sing carols, and at some parties one or two Yule Lads might even drop by.
In the afternoon, people often have hot chocolate and homemade cookies and play board games or chat until late in the evening.
ESA
