Attitudes and customs

Icelanders, like their Nordic neighbors Norway and Sweden, have a traditional liberal Nordic outlook. However, an important key to understanding Icelanders and their culture (which distinguishes them from the majority of their contemporary Nordic peoples) is the high value they place on independence and self-sufficiency.

Icelanders are proud of their Viking heritage and Icelandic language, and they work hard to keep these traditions alive. Modern Icelandic is very similar to the Old Norse spoken during the Viking Age. Many traditional Viking beliefs were strongly held in Iceland prior to Christianization, and remnants of these beliefs can still be found today.

Icelandic society and culture value gender equality, with many women holding positions of power in government and business. Iceland's gay rights legislation is extremely progressive, with couples able to register civil unions since 1996, adopt since 2006, and marry since 2010. Women keep their names after marriage because Icelanders do not use surnames but rather patronyms or (in some cases) matronyms.

The Children's Act of 2003 prohibited spanking, verbal and emotional abuse, and prioritized child protection. Violence, whether physical or mental, is punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine. Iceland was named the world's fourth happiest country in 2006. Local and national festivals include the annual National Day, which commemorates the country's independence in 1944, Sumardagurinn fyrsti, which celebrates the first day of summer, and Sjómannadagurinn, which is held every June to honor the country's maritime history.