We Icelanders often find it amusing to hear how foreigners perceive us, our country and our society. Jordi Pujolá moved to Iceland from Spain in 2013 and has often been asked how he perceives Iceland. Jordi admits that he did find several things different from what he was used to. Here is his short list:

1. To see all possible weather signs (sun ,rain, snow…) simultaneously on the weather report. 
2. To see a shovel in front of every house during winter. After the first snowstorm he understood why. 
3. To see a store closed on account of good weather. 
4. To open the window instead of reducing the heating when it is to hot inside. 
5. That Icelanders never wear warm outdoor activity clothes despite of the cold. If you see someone walk down the main shopping street dressed like that, you are probably looking at a tourist. 
6. To receive a phone call from your doctor and he is just checking if you drugs are working. 
7. Adding a Facebook friend and seeing that you already have common friends. 
8. That a single Icelandic web page has information on the whole nation and therefore you don‘t have to bring any papers to prove who you are. 
9. That Icelanders have an obsession for having favorite places in town that sell the best hot-dogs, ice cream and coffee. 
10. That you can pay for a single lollipop in the shop with a credit card. 
11. That lunch is informal and you don‘t have to meet a lot of people at lunch. 
12. That it is enough to say „Hello“ when you meet new people and you don‘t have to kiss anybody as you do in Spain. 
13. That socks are as important as shoes. Even at the dentist you take of your shoes. 
14. That in the supermarket you don‘t have to show the staff into your rucksack to prove that you are not stealing. The first time I did that the store attendant looked at me like I was crazy. 
15. To buy lots of beer in the supermarket only to realize when you come home that it is alcohol free. And that beer was banned in Iceland from 1915 to 1989! 
16. That Icelanders are very proud of their country and always cheer for their countrymen, even in Karaoke! 
17. To have only one company that produces milk. 
18. That Icelanders walk freely on the grass in the parks. That is forbidden in Spain. 
19. That you can go into a store to exchange something you bought, without being asked for a proof of purchase. 
20. To observe Icelanders talking on the phone. For the first time he saw that he thought something catastrophic had happened.

We are sometimes asked if you are supposed to tip in Iceland, at restaurants, in taxis and so forth. The short answer is no, you are not supposed to tip. Every person that serves you, whether it is the waiter in the restaurant or the cleaning staff at your hotel, is paid a decent pay and does not have to rely on tipping to earn a living.

Tipping is not a part of Icelandic culture, the staff does not expect you to tip them and they might also be offended if you do. Therefore you should not tip.

That said you might witness a waiter (or some other servicing staff) accept a tip from a customer. In most cases he‘ll do it because he is simply to bothered to explain (yet again) that tipping is not accepted.

But what to do if you are extremely satisfied with the service you got? Well, then just simply compliment the person in question and show your gratitude in that way.

Did you know that when entering an Icelandic home you are supposed to remove your shoes before entering the apartment? This is true for causal situations, like when friends or family just drop by. But if you are invited on a more formal occasion, say a dinner or a party, you are on the other hand supposed to keep your shoes on.

Sounds confusing? Don’t worry, just watch closely and do like the locals do. If no one else is arriving when you arrive, just ask the residents. They’ll be happy to help.

To be clear you are not supposed to leave your shoes outside the door. Just take them off after entering and leave them near the door.

The third Thursday of April is a special day in Iceland each year because it is the official first day of summer! On the calendar it is a red day so everybody gets the day off. In most towns there are parades and entertainment for the kids that many attend or people try to do something else together with their family. It is also a custom in Iceland to give children a summer gift this day, usually toys you can use for playing outside.

If you happen to be in Iceland on the first day of summer, do like the locals, make a day of it and participate in the festivities.

An Ester egg made of chocolate.

Easter is approaching and what happens then in Iceland? We all buy “Easter eggs”- decorated eggs made of chocolate and filled with candy. The eggs also contain a small note containing a saying or proverb of some kind (those familiar with fortune cookies know what I’m talking about).

The eggs come in various sizes, but are categorized by weight, the heaviest weighing 1 kilogram.

Primarily parents give their children and their spouses eggs but it is also common practice to give an egg to anyone you care about. Many employers give eggs to their employees, for an example.

Almost everyone receives an egg during Easter, and if someone suspects he or she will not receive one this year, he/she just buys one for himself/herself.

In many families there is a tradition of hiding the eggs and on the morning of Easter day the children wake up early and go on a egg hunt throughout the house.

Some organizations and companies, but not that many, also arrange a public Easter egg hunt in parks or other public areas.

After cracking open the egg your first task is to find the small note with the saying. This is important because family members and friends usually ask each other “Which saying did you receive?” and then discuss, or explain to the children, what the saying means.

So what do you do if you happen to be in Iceland over Easter? You do like the locals of course: Head to the nearest grocery store or supermarket and buy chocolate Easter eggs for your love ones, or just for yourself! Enjoy, and happy Easter!

If there is one bird that has a special meaning to Icelanders then that bird is brobably the European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria). The bird is called Heidloa in Icelandic, Loa for short, and is a migrating bird in Iceland.

When the first bird of the year is sighted, it always makes the news, because as everyone in Iceland knows, when the Loa is here spring will be upon us soon. Every child in Iceland knows the song about the Loa where the first line goes something like this (translated loosely to English): “The Loa has arrived to sing away the snow!”

The first Loa of this year was sighted in mid February, in fact six birds were sighted. Specialists say that the bird is a month early this year, due to bad weather recently in Britain and Northern-Europe.