Lighting the first "aðventukerti"

Today is the first Sunday of Advent.
Time to get boxes of Christmas decorations from storage and buy new advent candles. I used to always bake a wreath and place the candles there, but now we have this lovely crown candle holder (nordic design, Georg Jensen). Not as homely as the baked one, but less trouble for me. 

Here in Iceland we have a special song or hymn for all the advent candles and used to sing it as we lighted the candles - one verse every Sunday - when our sons were little. It's a tradition we have kept but a few years ago my husband made his own version of the lyrics, because we wanted something less "biblical". We are atheist but always celebrate Christmas (Jól or Yule) as is the cultural norm here in Iceland and to us the Christmas season is a beautiful celebration of light and peace.
Tonight Daníel sang the first verse in his version (with the lyrics on the phone screen) and lighted the first candle.
 
Here you can listen to the original song in Icelandic, in Norwegian and in Swedish (by Emmy Köhler, a Swedish hymnwriter and writer and the song is originally called Nu tändas tusen juleljus).

While the candle burned down a little bit, I read the first chapter of 24 in the book "Frú Pigalopp og jólapósturinn/Mrs. Pigalopp and the Christmas Mail". Looking forward to reading one chapter every evening until Christmas, which is also something we did when our boys were young. I love books which also double as an advent calendar! 
 
(in extra, the book and Daníel's lyrics)