Day of the Icelandic Language

Icelandic Language Day is celebrated on 16 November each year, which falls on a Monday this year. On that day, the formal start of the Great Reading Competition in Hafnarfjörður's primary schools takes place. It is held in the seventh grade of the primary schools. This winter, it celebrates its 20th anniversary in Hafnarfjörður, and as the festival began in Hafnarfjörður, it will only be 20 years old in Hafnarfjörður this year. To mark the Day of the Icelandic Language, celebrations are often held in the schools where reading aloud in Icelandic is an important part of the programme.

On the Day of the Icelandic Language, a competition for invitation cards for the final of the Great Reading Competition, to be held on 8 March 2016, also begins in Hafnarfjörður. Pupils in Year 6 of the primary schools may take part in the competition for the invitations. The competition consists of drawing a black-and-white picture in A5 size, without any text that is not part of the picture itself. Entries must be submitted to the schools by 8 February.

On the Day of the Icelandic Language, the Junior Reading Competition for pupils in Year 4 in the schools of Hafnarfjörður also begins. The competition is modelled on the Senior Reading Competition, although no central festival is held at the end, as is the case with the Senior competition.

A short story competition for pupils in Years 9-11 in Hafnarfjörður's secondary schools also begins on the day of the Icelandic Language, 16 November, and stories must be submitted by 8 February 2016. The theme is open this year, but the concepts of care, courage or cheerfulness, individually or all together, could be taken into consideration when writing. Each story should be 600-1000 words and submitted to the respective schools. A competition leaflet will be sent to all schools. The results will be announced at the final of the Great Reading Competition at Hafnarborg in March 2016.

The picture is of the winners of the Grand Reading Competition in Hafnarfjörður in 2015, together with their headteachers.