December
23, St. Thorlak’s feast day, was also the last day of the old Catholic
fast before Christmas, when people usually ate fermented skate to end the
fasting (chased with a shot of Brennivin, of course--that’s Iceland’s signature
liquor). But even after Catholicism was outlawed, people still celebrated his
feast day, and they still celebrate it today.
It’s just like drinking Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day. Except,
Iceland. And rotten shark.
Because of Iceland’s strange combination of volcanic activity
and ancient glaciers, people often say, “God hasn’t finished making Iceland,”
and that’s definitely true for the spirituality of Iceland as well. Let’s pray
for St. Thorlak’s intercession for his country.
And
let’s also pray that, whether or not we end up getting sagas or feast days with
strange menus, we’ll always have the same commitment and courage as Iceland’s
original saint.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.