Christmas Eve
[Written on 29 December 2012]
Icelanders hold Christmas on Christmas Eve, i.e. the kids squirm the whole day, at 6 pm there’s a fancy dinner, and once that’s over (and all cleared and cleaned away) it’s PRESENT OPENING TIME!!
Here are a few pictures from the day.
The tree Anna and Finnur bought and decorated the day before almost floated on top of all the presents – and that was before mom and Bjarni brought their own.
Anna and Bjarki whiled away the minutes by alternating between playing and asking us when they’d get to open presents. Here they’ve constructed a car-jumping ramp, which they used to launch small cars into the air. I kindly asked them to move it where the cars would land on a rug instead of the wooden floor so they moved the car-smashing operation into Anna’s room.
I tried my hand at a few housewife-y things like ironing a small table cloth, and napkins. Feeling charitable, I also ironed Finnur’s shirt, which he usually gets stuck with doing himself.
The kids licking whipped cream off the whippers, having just helped Finnur make the dessert.
The living room looking slightly more presentable than usual. I managed to stick the holiday cards we’d received up on the wall – except they kept falling down!
Finnur the Kitchen Hero.
Bjarni and (a slightly manic looking) Hrefna peeling potatoes.
Grandma Ásdís and the kids lighting candles.
Finnur caramelizes the potatoes… not long until dinner starts now!
Bjarni by the unusually fancily set table. That table-cloth comes out exactly once per year. 🙂
The kids got to open one present each at 6 pm…
… and there was much happiness. 🙂
Dinner time! 🙂
The view from the other end of the table – for completeness! 🙂
Anna posing by the tree between the main course and dessert. She was only a ‘little’ bit excited.
As is customary, we had Ris a la Mande for dessert, with a whole almond hidden in it somewhere.
Bjarni came really close to finding the almond, but Finnur was the one to spot it and got the prize, which was the Of Monsters and Men CD called My Head is an Animal.
The package opening commences – Bjarni tries on a new jacket. 🙂
Anna happy with some Monster High doll clothes.
Finnur reading directions for Bjarki.
Bjarki trying his new toy.
Bjarki with a new hard hat and chain saw.
The living room getting slightly messy, even though we tried to stay on top of all the wrapping material.
We saved the big boxes for last, and shipped them straight upstairs!
A final family picture before mom and Bjarni took off, and we put the kids to bed.
This year we decided to do a speedy present-opening, meaning more than one present was being opened at any given time (although not by the same person). This was in response to the very painfully-slow progress the year before when it looked like we’d be at it until midnight. As a result I didn’t write down who gave whom what, so you’ll have to forgive me for being slightly clueless, although I did try to pay attention.
Needless to say, everybody was very happy with what they got, and there was much merriment. 🙂
