Today is The First Day of Summer

In Iceland, giving summer gifts on this day has been a tradition since the 16th century — long before Christmas gifts became a thing here in the late 19th century. In Icelandic folklore, it's believed that if summer and winter "freeze together", it’s a sign that the coming summer will be a good one. This happens when the temperature drops below freezing on the night before the First Day of Summer.

The Icelandic folklorist Árni Björnsson explained it like this: “Everywhere, people watched to see if there would be frost on the eve of the First Day of Summer — in other words, whether summer and winter would freeze together. It was generally seen as a good omen. Some even believed that the cream on top of the milk would be as thick as the ice on the water that night.” - To test this, people would often leave a bowl of water outside overnight and check it early in the morning.” In the past, it was also a day off work for many, and children would visit nearby farms to play with friends — a rare treat those days in this rural country.

What exactly counts as a "good summer" in folklore is a bit unclear. Most likely, it refers to a good season for livestock, which depends on having plenty of hay. When spring is cold and plants grow slowly, the grass tends to be more nutritious, which can lead to better yields. - So, a chilly start to summer — with frost on Sumardagurinn fyrsti — is seen as a sign of good summer to come, especially for farming.

Still today, many Icelanders check the forecast, eagerly waiting to see if there will be frost the night before. And guess what? This year, it happened!

-It still does not quite look like summer yet, the nights are getting longer and slowly everything will start to turn greener.