September 23, 2013
Réttir – the annual sheep round-up!
During the month of September both Icelanders and fair number of tourists head-off to the countryside to take part in Réttir - the annual sheep round-up. This activity is one of the country’s oldest cultural traditions where Icelandic sheep farmers invite family, friends and anyone who’s interested, to help out with rounding –up the sheep from their summer grazing period in the mountains and valleys.
It involves lots of walking and/or horse riding, followed by a night of celebration, with some traditional singing and dancing at the local ‘round-up shindig’ or ‘Réttaball’. The first round-ups this year started early in September and continue across the country until early October.
If you’re in Reykjavík over the next couple of months you’ll notice a lot of traditional lamb products for sale in the supermarkets, with many dishes served at selected city restaurants featuring fresh organic lamb and some traditional dishes such as black-pudding blóðmör and liver sausage lifrapylsa.
During the month of September both Icelanders and fair number of tourists head-off to the countryside to take part in Réttir - the annual sheep round-up. This activity is one of the country’s oldest cultural traditions where Icelandic sheep farmers invite family, friends and anyone who’s interested, to help out with rounding –up the sheep from their summer grazing period in the mountains and valleys.
It involves lots of walking and/or horse riding, followed by a night of celebration, with some traditional singing and dancing at the local ‘round-up shindig’ or ‘Réttaball’. The first round-ups this year started early in September and continue across the country until early October.
If you’re in Reykjavík over the next couple of months you’ll notice a lot of traditional lamb products for sale in the supermarkets, with many dishes served at selected city restaurants featuring fresh organic lamb and some traditional dishes such as black-pudding blóðmör and liver sausage lifrapylsa.