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Christmas is the best opportunity to please loved ones and yourself, spoil the children, eat special treats and.... fly to Scotland for Christmas shopping! Farriers, like me, love Christmas. This is one of the reasons why I start decorating our home as early as... November! What traditions accompany the Islanders during this magical time?
Cocoa, choirs and lights
On the first of December, in all settlements and towns, there is a ceremony to switch on the lights on the Christmas trees set up in the most representative places. Local authorities give short speeches and sponsor packages full of sweets, which are distributed to children by Santa Claus on this day. The Christmas markets open with performances by a brass band and parish choirs. Wooden stalls sell Christmas decorations and homemade cakes. Instead of the mulled wine known in Poland, sweet cocoa is cooked in large pots, and the smell of caramelised pancakes and waffles is in the air. The melody of Christmas carols carries everywhere, and twinkling lights brighten the dark days in the archipelago.
Quarter sheep and dancing
December is also the time for company Christmas parties. Employees usually receive a package with specific products from their employers. Mostly it’s a tin of sweets, two ducks, a leg of lamb, a pork ham and a quarter of a sheep. What would you say to such a gift ;)
Company ‘Christmas Eve’ parties are held in rented rooms in the hotel. There is music and dancing at these parties, as well as the Farers' favourite Christmas game: mandlurís. Everyone gets a bowl od rice on milk with cherry sauce to eat, with an almond hidden in one portion. The person who finds it can’t tell until everyone has eaten their dish. The lucky person should keep the almond under their tongue and only reveal themselves at the end, claiming their prize.
Duck and chips
According to Christian tradition, Christmas is preceded by four weeks of Advent. Traditionally, another of the four candles is lit each Sunday in Faroese homes and the children open one window on the Advent calendar each day. There is usually some kind of chocolate or small gift waiting in it.
The family Christmas Eve dinner is much more modest than in Poland. The tables are dominated by the traditional roast duck in oranges, served with red cabbage and potatoes. A must-try snack on the Christmas table is... crisps!
On the first day of Christmas, the Farer people gather around the Christmas tree in their homes or church halls to sing carols and dance around the tree. It is also another opportunity to give sweets to the children. The parcels (often funded by local authorities) include juices, candy bars, lollipops and tangerines
Women, Scotland and four tonnes of presents
The most enjoyable (and surprising tradition for foreigners) Christmas tradition is the weekend shopping trip to Scotland. At the beginning of December Faroese women meet at the airport on the island of Vagar (men rarely take part in these trips) and fly to Aberdeen or Edinburgh. It's actually a necessity, not just a pleasure, because throughout December we give each other presents both at home and at work. In the Faroe Islands we have only one shopping centre - in Tórshavn. The range in the shops is limited and if we want to buy something original and unique - we have to fly abroad. And the closest is Scotland. We spend a lot on Christmas shopping: no less than five or six thousand kroner.
Atlantic Airways' pilots are not only excellent professionals, but also people with an uncommon sense of humour, so the atmosphere during the flight is great. The fact that they have quite a large group of only women on board is an excuse to make jokes. Every year they warn that the plane's load capacity is ‘only’ 4 tonnes and if we go too crazy with our shopping, the plane won't take off from Scottish soil on the way back. ;) After two days of shopping, we are greeted on the plane by the Captain and he jokes that we went a bit overboard with the dimensions and he had to leave something on the runway, but at least we fit in the 4 tonnes. ;)
One of my colleagues once calculated that she needs to buy... 68 gifts for her relatives and friends every year! That's really quite a challenge when there's only one shopping centre in the entire archipelago at your disposal ;)
Which of these traditions struck you as the strangest? Which surprised you the most? Which one would you like to bring into your homes? Or is there something you have in common with the Faroese tradition in your country? Let me know!
Your Sabka.
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