When pianist Víkingur Heiðar Ólafsson had completed his postgraduate studies at Juilliard and was beginning to look seriously toward an international career, he decided to reach out to one of Iceland’s most renowned musical figures, Vladimir Ashkenazy, who resided in the country for years.

Vilhjálmur Birgisson, chairman of the Confederation of Labour (ASÍ), says that an average wage earner will end up paying tens of thousands of krónur more in taxes each year because personal tax credits and income tax brackets are not being raised sufficiently at the turn of the year.

Residents of Þorlákshöfn don’t let the fact that golf is usually considered a summer sport stop them, and have organized a late-season Þorláksmessa tournament that began at 11 a.m. today.

It is important for the Þorbjörn Search and Rescue Team to be able to resume fireworks sales in Grindavík this year, as the team has not been able to hold such sales for the past two years.

An earthquake shook the southwest of the country just twelve minutes before 2 a.m.

Valdimar Haukur Gíslason and his wife Edda Arnholtz spent Christmas Day without electricity at their home in Mýrar in Dýrafjörður. Valdimar says it turned out just fine and was actually rather cozy.

Six Christmas babies have been born at Landspítali over the past two days. Midwives at the Björk birthing centre also assisted with one home birth this morning, and one baby was born last night at the West Iceland Healthcare Institution.

Around 130 people attended the Christmas meal at Samhjálp yesterday, and the day exceeded all expectations.

A Christmas Day temperature record was broken overnight when 19.7°C was measured in Bakkagerði in Borgarfjörður Eystri just before 2 a.m.

Some residents of Grindavík have decided to return home for the holidays and spend Christmas in the town. A lively New Year’s Eve is expected.

“The main reason is simply that I’ve reached a point where I’m getting older. I might end up going to bed at four or five on Christmas Eve morning, then have to wake up three hours later to gather everything together to go to Litla-Hraun.”

Heba Guðrún Nielsen is an avid baker who loves creating fun and beautiful things for the people around her. She is 25 years old and lives in Seltjarnarnes, where she feels very much at home. She has made it an annual tradition to design, bake and assemble famous landmarks out of gingerbread for Christmas — structures that become striking holiday decorations in her home.

“Skate always holds its own. The tradition endures even as new generations come along,” says Viktor Örn Andrésson, head chef at the restaurant Brasa in Turninn at Smáratorg in Kópavogur. Yesterday, he was preparing today’s buffet, where skate takes centre stage, as is customary on Þorláksmessa (St Thorlak’s Day).

The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (IRCA) managed traffic on the national highway just above Vík this morning after rocks fell from Reynisfjall and landed on the road.

One of the striking findings in the latest inflation figures from Statistics Iceland is the sharp rise in home heating costs.

At 2 p.m. today, the Supreme Court will deliver its judgment in two cases brought by borrowers against Landsbankinn, concerning the terms governing variable interest rates on the bank’s loans.

In 2025, a total of 1,724 individuals with foreign citizenship who are resident in Iceland will receive old-age pensions, 1,075 will receive disability pensions, 1,464 will receive rehabilitation pensions, 30 will receive disability grants, and 794 will receive child support payments — amounting to more than 5,000 individuals in total.

For more than a decade, adventurer Kristján Gíslason has been either preparing for a motorcycle journey, travelling, or working on books and travel programmes known as Hringfarinn, familiar to many. He has now completed his second journey around the world, and it is interesting to hear about his latest adventures in countries the average person has barely even heard of.

Few things feel as festive as elaborate Christmas decorations. People across the country compete to dress their homes in Christmas finery, often aiming to outdo the previous year. “This takes several weekends,” says one interviewee who goes all out every year.

Tomorrow, Sunday 21 December, at precisely 15:03:01, a moment many consider magical will arrive: the winter solstice.

Police in the capital area arrested three individuals in an operation last night on suspicion of organised theft, which police believe targeted both members of the public and retail stores across the Reykjavík area. Unnar Már Ástþórsson, chief superintendent with the Metropolitan Police, described the course of events to mbl.is.

Significant damage to Mjólkárlína 1 between Mjólkár and Geiradalur caused a power outage around midnight in the early hours of the day before yesterday in the Westfjords, and repairs have taken longer than initially expected. This was reported by Landsnet on its Facebook page and website.

With the rise of discount shopping days, Icelanders’ Christmas shopping has become far more spread out. This is reflected, among other things, in the fact that the capital area’s largest shopping centres, Kringlan and Smáralind, are starting their extended Christmas opening hours later than before. Despite the growing share of online shopping, foot traffic to shopping centres appears to be increasing.

The Mjólkár Line 1 went out just after midnight, causing a power outage across the Westfjords.

The Húnar search and rescue team in Hvammstangi received a request for assistance yesterday afternoon after a lamb got into trouble in Vesturárdalur. The Vesturá river flows into the Miðfjarðará south of Laugarbakki.

A yellow weather warning will take effect at noon today in the Westfjords and remain in force until 10 a.m. tomorrow.

The decision to push Fjarðarheiði Tunnel further down the government’s priority list has little impact on the operation of the ferry Norræna, which will continue to sail to Seyðisfjörður.

It is uncertain whether Guðmundur Ingi Kristinsson, Minister of Education and Children, will return to his ministry after the end of his sick leave.

The Federation of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners (SFS) has expressed strong disappointment with the new mackerel agreement, saying it significantly reduces Iceland’s share of the fishery. The organisation also points out that the agreement is only valid until 2028 and does not constitute a comprehensive coastal states agreement, as both Greenland and the European Union are excluded.

“The situation in Seyðisfjörður is manageable,” says Jón Kristinn Helgason, head of landslide and hazard assessment at the Icelandic Meteorological Office. He says it has helped that temperatures dropped on Saturday and that little to no precipitation has fallen since Friday evening.

It amounts to a state of emergency at the emergency department when patients have to be accommodated in the ambulance arrival area at the hospital. Increased dialogue between hospital management and Parliament is needed to resolve the situation.

The Jewish Community in Iceland held its annual Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony on Laugavegur this evening, for the eighth year in a row.

Elizabeth Björk Ásgeirsdóttir had only recently left Bondi Beach in Sydney when the terrorist attacks at a Jewish gathering this afternoon killed twelve people.

Höskuldur Tryggvason is currently in Antarctica, where he aims to ski across the continent using a traction kite and a sled in tow. Höskuldur — known as Höddi — is travelling completely alone, and the expedition is entirely unassisted and non-motorised.

Landspítali University Hospital has set up temporary accommodation for patients in a parking garage on the ground floor of the hospital in Fossvogur. Rafn Benediktsson, director of the emergency department, says that infections and contagious illnesses have made it necessary to do everything possible to keep patients separated.