Today's text will be tiny, tiny. Before anything else, today came Gáttaþefur. Let 's continue. This text is only to commemorate this tradition that takes place around this day. In itself it is a costume that is not named in some specific way. But it is part of the rituals that are celebrated during this time of the year. Around December 9th, Christmas lights are usually placed on the graves of the cemeteries. This is a service that is provided by the cemetery and some third parties. The decorations can be seen in the distance, like a constellation in the middle of the winter darkness. Usually, people place a candle there between the 23rd and 24th in the obligatory visit that crowds the cemetery of the relatives of the deceased. The traffic rules change to keep the cars moving inside the cemetery. For example, the Reykjavik Cemetery closes access to vehicles inside the cemetery at two in the afternoon, due to the number of pedestrians that are concentrated. However, this year they have suggested that people anticipate their visit to the cemetery to avoid crowds and exposure in these times of the pandemic. In any case, it is interesting to observe the different ways in which we culturally try to stay close to our own, even if only in memory. I suppose (this is without any scientific data at hand), that Icelanders appreciate Christmas so much that they include in their celebrations remembering those who are no longer with us.
"Death does not come with old age, but with oblivion" Gabriel García Márquez.
