Forever.
According to Icelandic folklore, if you don’t have brand-spankin’ new clothes to wear by Christmas Eve, the Yule Cat will hunt you down at night and eat you. I wish we had this cat in the States because I definitely know some kids.
And let’s not forget the 13 Yule Lads, which are basically like the 7 dwarfs except there’s 13 of them. Also they aren’t just sneezing or laughing. No, no. These lads have a naughty streak. They are spoon and bowl lickers, candle thieves and also engage in sausage swiping. Yes, you read that right…one of the yule lads is a sausage swiper.
Last one I’ll mention is the Window Peeper. You’ll just have to Google the other 9.
So, last month, I wrote about skipping Christmas for the first time after the usual Thanksgiving fiasco. It’ll explain why I ended up in Iceland.
Despite the oddity and borderline creepiness of the Yule Lads, I absolutely do not regret my decision. In fact, I’ve decided that I’m going to skip Christmas every single year going forward. There’s no turning back now.
For a little context, I went abroad, and I went alone. I met with a group upon arrival for part of the trip.
At first, I (very) briefly questioned whether it was a good idea to leave during the holidays. But I’ll never question that decision again.
Here’s what I found:
You meet like-minded people. I was convinced I’d likely only meet people who were vacationing with family or were on a romantic getaway during Christmas. I had no expectations to meet solo travelers like myself and was afraid I’d have a hard time blending in. To my shock, with the exception of one couple, everyone I met was a solo traveler also looking to get away from it all or simply explore.
Bonding. We spent a couple of nights in an Iceland barn. The room setup can be best compared to the dormitory lifestyle. We had limited to no reception and few amenities. Instead of sleeping, we gathered in the common area and lounged in our pajamas and had amazing conversations that brought us closer. Odds are, strangers getting away during the holidays have a similar story. Even if they don’t, they want to bond and make connections during this time of year.
Something new. It changes things up. No Christmas tree. No gift swapping. No huge feasts or cooking.
My Christmas dinner consisted of bagged olives and Nutella on a cold slice of bread, and let me tell you, it was the best. Also, everything was closed and this is all we could piece together from our backpacks. I legit used a coffee mixer to spread the Nutella. The spontaneity and simplicity of it made me smile then and even now at the memory of it.
No pressure. The holidays are a stressful time of year with shopping and gift-giving and cooking and dealing with DQs and DKs (drama queens and kings) and is Santa dead questions…ETCETERA ETCETERA. Just getting away from it all can be a breath of fresh air.
Reflection. Some of the people I met were skipping Christmas for the first time like myself. The majority of them, however, had kept up with this ritual for years now. There’s a small chance you may miss being around friends and family back home. Being away during this time gives you a chance to reflect on what the holidays truly mean for you and what aspects are the most important and meaningful.
Extra-Extra Cheer. The holiday spirit is real. Maybe the Icelandic people are incredibly friendly (which they so are) but I also believe that everyone is generally happier and more kind around this time of year. Being in a different part of the world adds to the magic of it all.
I’m excited to see what adventure the next holiday season will bring. Try it once. You won’t know till you know.
