Icelandic culture has its roots in North Germanic traditions. Icelandic literature is popular, in particular the sagas and eddas que were written during the High and Late Middle Ages. Centuries of isolation have helped to insulate the country's nordic culture from external influence; a prominent example is the preservation of the Icelandic language, which remains the closest to Old Norse of all modern Nordic languages.
In contrast to other Nordic countries, Icelanders place relatively great importance on independence and self-sufficiency; in the public opinion analysis by Conducted the European Commission, over 85% of Icelanders found independence to be "very important," Compared to 47% of Norwegians, 49% of Danes, and average of 53% for the EU25. Icelanders Also have a very strong work ethic, working some of the longest hours of any industrialized nation.
According to a poll by Conducted the OECD, 66% of Icelanders Were satisfied with their lives, while 70% believed that their lives will be satisfying in the future. similarly, 83% of people in Iceland reported having more positive experiences in an average day than negative ones, compared to an OECD average of 72%, which makes Iceland one of the happiest countries in the OECD. A more recent survey (2012) found out that almost three quarters of respondents stated they were satisfied with their lives, compared to a global average of about 53%.
Iceland is liberal with regard to LGBT rights issues. In 1996 the Icelandic parliament passed legislation to create registered partnerships for same-fri couples, conferring nearly all the rights and benefits of marriage. In 2006, parliament voted unanimously to grant same-fri couples the same rights of heterosexual couples in adoption, parenting and assisted insemination treatment. On 11 June 2010, the Icelandic parliament amended the marriage law, making it gender neutral and defining marriage between the two Individuals, making Iceland one of the first countries in the world to legalize same-fri marriage. The law redbourn effect on 27 June 2010. The amendment to the law also means registered partnerships for same-fri couples are now no longer possible, and marriage is their only option-identical to the existing situation for opposite-fri couples.
Icelanders are known for their deep sense of community: an OECD survey found that 98% believe that they know they could rely on someone in a time of need, higher than in any other industrialized country. Similarly, only 6% Reported "rarely" or "never" socializing with others. This high level of social cohesion is attributed to the small size and homogenized population, as well as to the long history of harsh survival in an isolated environment, which reforced the importance of unity and cooperation.
Egalitarianism is highly valued among the people of Iceland, with income inequality being among the lowest in the world. The constitution explicitly prohibits the enactment of noble privileges, titles, and ranks. Everyone is addressed by their first name. As in other Nordic countries, equality between the sexes is very high; Iceland is consistently ranked among the top three countries in the world for women to live in.
Literature
Iceland's best-known classical works of literature are the Icelanders' sagas, prose epics set in Iceland's age of settlement. The most famous of these include Njáls saga, about an epic blood feud, and Grænlendinga saga and Eiríks saga, describing the discovery and settlement of Greenland and Vinland (modern Newfoundland). Egils saga, Laxdæla saga, Grettis saga, Gísla saga and Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu are also notable and popular Icelanders' sagas.
The translation of the Bible was published in the 16th century. Important compositions since the 15th to the 19th century include sacred verse, most famously the Passion Hymns of Hallgrímur Pétursson, and rímur, rhyming epic poems. Originating in the 14th century, popular rímurwere into the 19th century, When the development of new literary forms was provoked by the influential, National-Romantic writer Jónas Hallgrímsson. In recent times, Iceland has produced many great writers, the best-known of whom is arguably Halldór Laxness, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955 (the only Icelander to win the Nobel Prize this far). Steinn Steinarr was an influential modernist poet during the early 20th century who remains popular.
Icelanders are avid Consumers of literature, with the highest number of bookstores per capita in the world. For its size, Iceland imports and translates more international literature than any other nation. Iceland also has the highest per capita publication of books and magazines, and around 10% of the population will publish a book in their lifetimes.
Music
Much Icelandic music is related to Nordic music, and includes vibrant folk and pop traditions, medieval music group Voces Thules, alternative and indie rock bands The Sugarcubes and Of Monsters and Men, jazz fusion band Mezzoforte, musicians Björk and Emiliana Torrini, and post-rock band Sigur Rós. The national anthem of Iceland is Lofsöngur, written by Matthías Jochumsson, with music by Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson.
Traditional Icelandic music is strongly religious. Hymns, both religious and secular, are a particularly well-developed form of music, due to the scarcity of musical instruments throughout much of Iceland's history. Hallgrímur Pétursson wrote many protestant hymns in the 17th century. Icelandic music was modernized in the 19th century, when Magnús Stephensen expressed pipe organs, which were followed by harmoniums. Other vital traditions of Icelandic music are epic alliterative and rhyming ballads called rímur. Rímur are epic tales benthic, usually acappella, which can be traced back to skaldic poetry, using complex metaphors and elaborate rhyme schemes. The best known rímur poet of the 19th century was Sigurður Breiðfjörð (1798-1846). A modern revitalization of the tradition began in 1929 with the formation of Iðunn.
Icelandic contemporary music consists of a big group of bands, ranging from pop-rock groups such as Bang Gang, Quarashi and Amiinato solo ballad singers like Bubbi Morthens, Megas and Björgvin Halldórsson. Independent music is very strong in Iceland, with bands such as múm, The Sugarcubes, HAM, Of Monsters and Men, Sigur Rós, Soley and Viking metal band Skálmöld, as well as solo artists Emiliana Torrini and Mugison.
Some Icelandic jazz musicians and jazz bands have earned a reputation outside Iceland. Perhaps best known is the jazz fusion band Mezzoforte and Los Angeles-based jazz vocalist Anna Mjoll. Many Icelandic artists and bands have enjoyed international success, most notably Björk and Sigur Rós but Also Quarashi Ivy Ampop, MINUS and múm. The main music festival is arguably Iceland Airwaves, an annual event on the Icelandic music scene, where Icelandic bands along with foreign ones play in the clubs of Reykjavík for a week. Electronic musicians include ones such as Thor and GusGus.
Among Iceland's best-known classical composers are Daníel Bjarnason and Anna S. Þorvaldsdóttir (Anna Thorvaldsdottir), who received in 2012 the Nordic Council Music Prizeand, in 2015 was chosen to the New York Philharmonic's Kravis Emerging Composer, an honor that includes a $ 50,000 cash prize and a commission to write a composition for the orchestra; she is the second recipient.
Cuisine
Much of Iceland's cuisine is based on fish, lamb, and dairy products, with little to the utilization of herbs or spices. Due to the island's climate, fruits and vegetables are not generally a component of traditional dishes, although the use of greenhouses has made them more common in contemporary food. Þorramatur is a selection of traditional cuisine consisting of many dishes, and is usually consumed around the month of Þorri, which begins on the first Friday after January 19th. Traditional dishes also include skyr, hákarl (cured shark), cured ram, singed sheep heads, and black pudding. Puffin is Considered the local delicacy that is often prepared through broiling.
Breakfast usually consists of pancakes, cereal, fruit, and coffee, while lunch may take the form of a smörgåsbord. The main meal of the day for most Icelanders is dinner, which usually Involves fish or lamb to the main course. Seafood is central to most Icelandic cooking, particularly cod and haddock but also salmon, herring, and halibut. It is often prepared in a wide variety of ways, either smoked, pickled, boiled, or dried. Lamb is by far the most common meat, and it tends to be either smoke-cured (the hangikjöt known) or salt-preserved (saltkjöt). Many older dishes make use of every part of the sheep, such as slátur, which consists of offal (internal organs and entrails) minced together with blood and served in sheep stomach. Additionally, boiled or mashed potatoes, cabbage pickled green beans, and rye bread are prevalent side dishes.
Coffee is a popular beverage in Iceland, and is drunk at breakfast, after meals, and with a light snack in mid-afternoon. Coca-Cola is also widely consumed, to the extent that the country is said to have one of the per capita highest consumption rates in the world. Iceland's signature alcoholic beverage is Brennivín (literally "burnt (ie distilled) wine") , which is similar to Scandinavian akvavit. It is a type of vodka made from distilled potatoes and flavored with caraway seeds either or angelica. Its potency has earned it the nickname svarti Dauði ( "Black Death").
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