the 13th day of christmas

...is today. I've heard that it's a public holiday in Sweden, with everything shut down and people eagerly unwrapping their Thirteen Pipers Piping. But here in Iceland, it's not much more than the last day for legal fireworks use and the last day of Christmas lights and decoration. The fireworks shanties were all open this afternoon, hawking their marked-down wares to rain-soaked passersby. But I think the rain is going to hamper the traditional second round of fireworks that happens tonight. It's blowing and gusty out there. Our remaining sparklers and Glitter-Twitter fountains are going to have to find a safe place in the basement storage area, biding their time for 2007.