GRAEKARISMESSA

March 12, St. Gregory's Day, celebrates the return of the oystercatcher to the archipelago. The Faroe Islands' national bird, the oystercatcher is not hunted. It is a common breeder, numbering around 10,000 pairs. At the beginning of March, the sky fills with their calls, heralding the return of long, bright days. Also known as the oystercatcher, it has become a symbol of national heroism. The poet Nólsoyar Páll (Páll Poulsen Nolsøe, 1766-1809) evokes it in his famous ballad Fuglakvæði(The Ballad of the Birds).