Cream Bun Day in Iceland

Bolludagur a unique Icelandic celebration of cream buns, and the first day in a three day holiday of over-indulgence and fun!

Bolludagur translates as Bun Day, was originally a Danish or Norwegian tradition which Icelanders began to celebrate in the late 19th century and always falls on a Monday. However, this is not a typical Monday for those who have children. Parents are likely to be woken early by their offspring spanking them with a Bolludagsvöndur (a wooden stick with a decorated paper paddle) and yelling Bolla! Bolla! Bolla! as they demand their creamy yummy bun. Many workplaces pamper their employees by ordering bollur, and the most common question of the day is "Have you had a bun yet?"

It's the day when everyone is excited about eating bollur – pastry buns filled with jam and cream, and topped with chocolate glaze. Icelanders love their bollur – thousands are sold on this day in the bakeries around the country. They’re also not that difficult to bake at home, the recipe is relatively simple. Every year Icelanders consume in excess of one million cream buns.