local conditions and customs
Iceland
In the mid-19th century, Irish and Norwegians immigrated to Iceland, becoming the earliest recorded inhabitants in Icelandic history. In 930, Iceland established the world's earliest parliament (Althingi). Since 1262, Iceland has been ruled by Norway and Denmark. On June 17, 1944, the Republic of Iceland was established.
language：
The official language of Iceland is Icelandic (Icelandic: í slenska, English: Icelandic), and Icelandic is the official language. English is the lingua franca. Icelandic language belongs to the Indo European language family and the northern branch of the Germanic language family (also known as the Scandinavian branch). Mainly distributed in Iceland, with a population of over 200000.
The ancestors of Icelanders were immigrants from western Norway from the 9th to 10th centuries. Due to Iceland's distance from the European continent, Icelandic language has always maintained the characteristics of the Western dialect of ancient Norwegian, and vocabulary is rarely influenced by foreign languages. Some linguists call it one of the "most conservative" languages in Europe. Icelandic once absorbed words from the Danish, Celtic, Latin, and Romantic language families, but after the 19th century, due to the development of the Purist movement, these foreign words have given way to Icelandic words. Scientific and engineering terminology is also composed of Icelandic elements. The changes in grammar, differences in nominality, changes in person at the end of verbs, syllable combinations, especially the combination of the first syllable, all retain the characteristics of Old Scandinavian (i.e., Old Norse). Modern Icelanders can still read ancient Icelandic epics written 1000 years ago.
religion：
85.4% of Iceland's population believes in the Lutheran Church of Christianity.
custom：
Iceland has a straightforward personality and is friendly to foreigners. Icelandic people, including friends and strangers, usually greet each other by their first name, and in welcoming occasions, they sometimes give a face to face salute. Icelandic surnames are very different from the customs of most other Western countries and usually do not continue the traditional paternal family surnames. The typical Icelandic surname is usually composed of the father's (sometimes mother's) name followed by the suffix "son" for "son" or "dottir" for "daughter", which directly means "someone's son or daughter". The Icelanders who use fixed surnames are mostly modern immigrants. Women do not change their surnames due to marriage.
Foreigners can generally use "first name+address (Mr./Ms.)" or "full name+address" to address Icelanders in formal occasions, rather than "last name+address". This should be noted. There are only two people in Iceland who need to be formally addressed by their full names: the President and the Archbishop. Iceland has fewer names, so there are many people with the same name. When encountering two or more people with the same name together, they usually use their "first name+surname without suffix".
Icelanders have a strong sense of time and usually need to make an appointment before meeting with Icelanders. In Iceland, inviting guests home instead of going to restaurants is more common than in other countries. Except for formal occasions, dressing is generally casual. When organizing formal events, it is necessary to indicate the attire on the invitation.
The seating arrangements for guests in formal occasions are consistent with international customs. The male guest of honor sits on the right side of the female host, while the female guest of honor sits on the right side of the male host. When invited to an Icelandic home for the first time, usually bring a bouquet of flowers or other small gifts, or send flowers the next day with a signed card as a token of gratitude. Gifts are generally given when attending birthday parties, weddings, and children's religious baptism ceremonies.
Iceland has no habit of tipping, and there is no need to tip for taxis, hotel rooms, or catering services, except for fishing and hiking guides.
Icelandic law allows homosexuals to register as spouses.
