Christmas

In former times in rural Iceland, people worked with great zeal to complete the work that had to be done before Christmas. Work on wool products took precedence over all other labour. Hand-knitted garments meant that you had a balance at the merchant’s and the woollen products had to be finished in time for Christmas. It was important that everyone was well dressed when the Christmas celebrations came, and that no one fell victim to the Yule Cat, a mythical creature used to make sure people finished their chores before Christmas. “Everyone gets something nice, at least candles and cards”, according to a much-loved Christmas carol.

Nowadays it is customary to knit sweaters for Christmas with various patterns associated with the festivities. Two such motifs can be seen on the stamps, the star of Bethlehem and a Christmas candle. Sometimes knitted covers are made for Christmas decorations. These covers are often delicate and make for beautiful Christmas tree decorations.