New Year’s Eve
[Written 2 January 2013]
We decided to do things a little differently this New Year’s Eve. In years and years past in Iceland, we’ve usually started the evening with Finnur’s family and then switched over to my (Hrefna’s) family around 10 pm and spent midnight perched up on a hill watching the crazy fireworks with them. As a result, Finnur hasn’t actually welcomed the New Year with his family in, uhhh, well over a decade (or even ever since we began dating 18 years ago?).
This year we therefore decided to just hang out with Finnur’s family for the entire evening, which was for the best because a) I was feeling extra tired and digestion-napped twice during the party, and b) my pelvis was feeling sensitive and wouldn’t have liked to climb or descend the usual hill for the fancy fireworks-view.
Here are a truckload of pictures from the evening!
Aaand just for kicks… Previous New Years Eves here: 2011 in Iceland, 2010 in Iceland, 2009 in LA, 2008 in LA, 2007 in Los Altos, 2006-1 and 2006-2 in Iceland, 2005 in Iceland, 2004 in Iceland, 2003 in Mountain View (Anna 1 week old), 2002 in Fremont, 2001 in Iceland, 2000 in LA.
Finnur lighting a few small fireworks in front of our house right before leaving for the big party at 6 pm. The kids are huddled behind him on the picture.
Finnur’s parents and their girls.
The food about to be attacked. It was really yummy!
The only real difference between the years seems to be the kids getting bigger!
After dinner it was game-time. The crowd listens attentively as Vignir the Game Master explains what’s about to happen.
The guests were split into four teams by a random draw. The brothers, Þórarinn and Tómas, and their wives, Anna and Jonna, were designated team-leaders.
The game consisted of a three-fold challenge: 1) a set of twelve riddles, 2) a Sudoku-puzzle, and 3) this wood-string-ring contraption Vignir is explaining here.
The teams had 30 minutes to work on the challenges, after which Vignir went over the answers and declared Jonna’s team the winner. (My contribution to Anna’s team was to do the Sudoku puzzle. It was only once I’d started it that I realized just how many years had passed since I did those on a regular basis, and the darn thing took me close to 25 minutes to complete!)
Guðni, who is son of Tómas, who is brother of Þórarinn, who is father of Finnur.
Guðni’s spouse working on the wood-string-ring contraption.
Bjarki and Anna were at this point getting really anxious to go outside and play with some fireworks, so Finnur went and did his fatherly duty (while I followed behind and did my photographic motherly duty).
Sparkles are always so much fun. 🙂
Random prettiness.
More pretty.
Of course, this being Iceland, the distance between live fireworks and people was minimal.
I walked a little ways down the hill from the house, and saw one of the city bonfires from a distance.
Moar fireworks!
The kids at a respectable distance from the blasts for once…
Anna and Þórarinn Víkingur being extremely cute!
At this point my pelvis asked for a break from navigating the slippery ice and snow, so in I went. Here’s a random decoration.
Bjarki gets to hold a flare in front of a decorated tree.
Soon it was 10:30 pm, and time for the hour-long Annual Comedy Show, which everyone has to watch. This year it was very low on comedy, and high on rather coarse commentary on the coarse behavior that still gets to run rampant in this country.
After some after-show desserts, we went outside to enjoy the show. It turns out that some of the neighbors have a lot of money, and like to buy huge firework-boxes! (And yes, the street was packed with cars due to all the parties.)
Fireworks can go either way with the little ones, but hearing-mufflers seem to help them enjoy them.
Did I mention the neighbors like big fireworks?!? That’s a lot of light!
Bamm, bamm, bamm!
There were explosions galore!
Getting close to midnight…
Finnur lighting ‘The Big One’ at midnight.
Bjarki enjoying the show.
More neighborhood fireworks.
Anna using a flare to light her sparkle.
Bjarki trying to blow his sparkle out.
Sparkles are fascinating things.
One of the older kids with a handheld firework.
Eyrún and family.
Us, the civilized edition.
Us, the more excited edition.
The last firework before I went inside for some warmth.
Steinunn and Einar brought these really awesome big glow-sticks for the kids. Two of them now live in our freezer and cast a green glow in there.
The mistress of the house and guests.
The master of the house wishes everybody a happy new year!
The guests kept chatting, but it was getting late, so we left shortly before 1 am – and not a moment too soon, because by then poor Bjarki had completely run out of batteries.
Happy New Year Everybody!! 🙂
