The Old Icelandic Calendar


Today's date in the Old Icelandic Calendar:


The Old Icelandic, or Norse, calendar was based around the solstices and equinoxes as these were, and are, very important in these northern regions of the world. Iceland has very short days in the winter and the coming of the Winter Solstice marks the rebirth of the year and the promise of the long days and light nights of the summer. Because of this, the year begins around the Winter Solstice.

The year consists of 12 months of 30 days, with an extra four days in the middle of summer, called Sumarauki. This produces a year of 364 days, i.e. exactly 52 weeks. To account for leap years an extra seven days, i.e. a full week, are added to Sumarauki after five or six Gregorian years. This ensures that each date in the calendar falls on the same day of the week each year. The last time that Sumarauki had 11 days was in 2001, and it will happen again in 2007 and 2012.

The months are as follows, along with their starting dates for the next few years (and the day of the week that they start in brackets).

Month 2004-5 2005-6 2006-7 2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-11
Mörsugr (Wed) 22 Dec 21 Dec 20 Dec 26 Dec 24 Dec 23 Dec 22 Dec
Þorri (Fri) 21 Jan 20 Jan 19 Jan 25 Jan 23 Jan 22 Jan 21 Jan
Góa (Sun) 20 Feb 19 Feb 18 Feb 24 Feb 22 Feb 21 Feb 20 Feb
Einmánuðr (Tue) 22 Mar 21 Mar 20 Mar 25 Mar 24 Mar 23 Mar 22 Mar
Harpa (Thu) 21 Apr 20 Apr 19 Apr 24 Apr 23 Apr 22 Apr 21 Apr
Skerpla (Sat) 21 May 20 May 19 May 24 May 23 May 22 May 21 May
Sólmánuðr (Mon) 20 Jun 19 Jun 18 Jun 23 Jun 22 Jun 21 Jun 20 Jun
Sumarauki (Wed) 20 Jul 19 Jul 18 Jul 23 Jul 22 Jul 21 Jul 20 Jul
Heyannir (Sun) 24 Jul 23 Jul 29 Jul 27 Jul 26 Jul 25 Jul 24 Jul
Tvímánuðr (Tue) 23 Aug 22 Aug 28 Aug 26 Aug 25 Aug 24 Aug 23 Aug
Haustmánuðr (Thu) 22 Sep 21 Sep 27 Sep 25 Sep 24 Sep 23 Sep 22 Sep
Gormánuðr (Sat) 22 Oct 21 Oct 27 Oct 25 Oct 24 Oct 23 Oct 22 Oct
Ýlir (Mon) 21 Nov 20 Nov 26 Nov 24 Nov 23 Nov 22 Nov 21 Nov