This day, 17th June in 1944, Iceland declared its independence and officially announced the founding of the Republic of Iceland.
At the time, colonial power Denmark was occupied by the Nazis and Iceland itself was occupied by the USA – but Denmark did not protest the split after the war and the two countries have remained close allies.
Independence Day was deliberately declared on 17th of June because it is Jon Sigurdsson’s birthday, and Jon Sigurdsson is considered the champion of Icelandic national awakening in the 19th century until his death in 1879. He is affectionately known as President Jon, even though he never was president.
In Reykjavik, the National Day celebrations begin at 09.55 with the chiming of all church bells and a ceremony at Jon Sigurdsson’s grave at 10.00. The ceremony is followed by a cathedral church service and speeches from VIPs including the Prime Minister.
After the official start, the 17th June celebrations become more family friendly with a huge variety of activities on offer, all culminating in open air concerts in the city centre.
A programme of events for the day can be found in pdf form here.
There are celebrations on this day in towns all over Iceland – and at Icelandic associations and clubs outside Iceland, including Copenhagen, London and parts of North America.
Wherever you are in the world IceNews wishes you a fun and festive 17th June.
Happy Independence Day!
Let us remember this feeling and say “NO!” to joining the EU.