Iceland: Town ends 'confusing' flag tradition

Thousands of tourists visit towns like Husavik for whale-watching excursions

A town in northern Iceland has voted to end its tradition of flying the national flag at half-mast when one of its residents dies, it's been reported.

Councillors in Husavik, a community of just over 2,000 people, voted to end the custom on the grounds that the town is no longer the tightly knit community it once was, and people may not necessarily know the deceased person, the Morgunbladid newspaper reports. Husavik is a centre for whale-watching expeditions, and local councillor Hjalmar Bogi Haflidason tells the paper that the sight of a flag in mourning can be "surprising" for tourists visiting the town. "They thought that a head of state had died," he says.

But the vote wasn't unanimous, with council minutes posted online showing a number of dissenters to the plan, including Sofia Helgasdottir who told the Visir news website: "This is an ancient custom and you grow up with it. I think it is just beautiful." She's not convinced that it's worrying for tourists, either, saying visitors must learn about the town's traditions, and vowing that this "emotional" matter is not closed. A proposal to continue the tradition on the day of a funeral was defeated by a single vote.

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