With still six weeks to go before Easter, the first chocolate Easter eggs will appear on shelves in stores around Iceland today.
Confectionery company Nói Síríus exported around 10,000 Easter eggs last year and a similar number is expected to be sold abroad in 2015. Most are sent to the other Nordic countries with many customers being Icelandic citizens living abroad. The eggs are sold via a middleman rather than directly to customers.
Freyja confectionery company also exports Easter eggs, to the other Nordic countries, including the Faroe Islands. According to director of Freyja, Pétur Blöndal, the sale of Easter eggs to the Faroe Islands has increased from year to year. In the other Nordic countries, the Draumur (chocolate with licorice) and Rís (chocolate and rice puffs) Easter eggs are most popular, Pétur told mbl.is.
Eating Easter eggs over the Easter holiday in Iceland is a long-standing tradition. One million Easter eggs are consumed in Iceland each year.
Easter Sunday is on April 5 this year.
Click here to view a video of the making of Easter eggs in Iceland.
