Iceland Express passengers to Copenhagen got a welcome surprise this morning when they were greeted with a box of chocolates as they boarded their plane in Iceland.

Iceland Express wanted to draw attention to the annual Copenhagen Cooking festival which starts tomorrow.

“Passengers were very happy with the gift and thankful for the good will of Iceland Express”, said Maria Hjalmsdottir, program manager for Iceland Express, who stood at the entrance to the plane this morning and handed out chocolates to passengers.

The Copenhagen Cooking festival has been held since 2004 and features a large range of gastronomical events which take place all over the city. Oksnehallen exhibition centre will be running a food and lifestyle event with gourmet delicacies, Tivoli amusement park will be hosting its Gastronomical Days, and a vineyard on the outskirts of Copenhagen will be opening its doors to wine tasters.

“We have gourmet restaurants, activities for the whole family, a cooking school and wine tasting on the programme. In recent years the Nordic culinary tradition has been rediscovered and modernized and it will be a big part of the programme”, said Thomas Meier Lorenzen, project manager at Wonderful Copenhagen in a recent press release.

The Copenhagen Cooking festival will take place from 22nd to 31st August. For more information visit: www.copenhagencooking.com

Iceland Express offers low cost flights to Reykjavik, Akureyri and Egilstadir in Iceland from Copenhagen, as well as flights to Reykjavik from 13 other European cities. For more information visit www.icelandexpress.com

Today is Icelandic Independence Day, a day off work and school, a day of partying in the streets and a day for unashamed flag waving.

Iceland declared independence from Denmark on 17th June 1944, while Iceland was occupied by Allied forces, and Denmark by the Nazis.

The nation had overwhelmingly voted for independence, and the date 17th June was chosen for the official declaration as it is the birthday of Jon Sigurdsson, a key figure of the 19th century independence movement.

The day begins with parades of brass bands, flag-bearing boy scouts and girl guides and police in dress uniforms. In Reykjavik, the prime minister gives a speech in Parliament Square, which is broadcast to the nation.

The speeches are followed by a poem from the “Lady of the Mountains” (a young woman portraying the female incarnation of Iceland), dressed in the most splendid national costume. The ceremony ends with the choir singing the national anthem.

The rest of the day is an informal celebration, consisting of any or all of the following: open-air music, shopping, beer, candy, street theatre and fairground rides, among others. Unfortunately the day’s celebrations are not rounded off with a spectacular fireworks display, as in the month of June it does not get dark in Iceland.

The fireworks will come on Culture Night in August – but in the meantime, Happy Independence Day, wherever you are!