Strokkur geyser in Iceland

© John and Tina Reid/Getty Image

Bubbling with power. Thorrablot: The Icelandic midwinter festival

What could be better than warming up winter with a feast that's a little wild and a lot of fun? Thorrablot, Iceland's midwinter festival, invites you to dive headfirst into tradition. This celebration of survival, culture, and community, which dates to the Viking Age, was once a way for Icelanders to honour Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Today, people celebrate by gathering to feast on an array of local delicacies, including fermented shark, smoked lamb, rye bread and shots of Brennivín—often called 'black death' schnapps.

Strokkur geyser—featured in the image—warms up winter in a completely different way. Located in the geothermal area beside the Hvítá River, this geyser erupts every 6 to 10 minutes, shooting hot water 14 to 20 metres into the air, sometimes erupting up to 40 metres. It has been consistently active since 1963. There is science behind its eruption—magma beneath the Earth's crust heats groundwater until the pressure builds up, forcing the water explosively to the surface. Both Thorrablot and Strokkur celebrate Iceland's resilience—one through its people and the other through its land.