Seamen’s Day celebrations traditionally take place during the first weekend in June in ports and harbours around Iceland, and the weekend is one of the few times when the fleet is expected to be in port.
For the first time in 82 years there will be no organised Seamen’s Day activities in Reykjavík this year – for obvious reasons – and the Festival of the Sea that is normally held over the same weekend at the old harbour will also not be taking place.
In Reykjavík, the day traditionally includes a ceremony honouring seamen who have lost their lives at sea, followed by a procession to the city’s cathedral for a Seamen’s Day service.
Every year since 1938 the Seamen’s Day Committee has organised the day’s schedule, and for the last 17 years, in co-operation with Associated Icelandic Ports and fishing company Brim (formerly HB Grandi), this has been expanded into the weekend-long Festival of the Sea
‘Up to 40,000 visitors make their way every year to the harbour to enjoy family entertainments and to find out about marine life, seamanship,’ a spokesman for the Seamen’s Day Committee said.
‘Due to the restrictions put in place by the health authorities on distancing, there will be no celebrations, but the organisers are determined to pick up where we left off next year.’
The Seamen’s Day Committee was established in November 1937. Today it carries out extensive welfare work among the maritime community and plays a leading role in care for the elderly.
