Happy Jólabókaflóð!
Jólabókaflóð (pronounced yo-la-bok-a-flot)
Icelandic for “Xmas book flood”
Did you know that Icelanders have a tradition of gifting each other books - and only books! - on Christmas Eve? They then spend the rest of the evening snuggled up indoors reading them.
This tradition began during World War II once Iceland had gained independence from Denmark in 1944. Paper was one of the few commodities not rationed during the war, so Icelanders shared their love of books as other types of gifts were in short supply. This increase in giving books as presents reinforced Iceland’s culture as a nation of book lovers and avid readers!
Every year since 1944, the Icelandic book trade has published a catalogue that is sent to every household in the country in mid-November during the Reykjavik Book Fair. People use the catalogue to order books to give friends and family for Christmas.
During the festive season, gifts are opened on 24 December and, by tradition, everyone reads the books they have been given straight away, often while drinking hot chocolate or alcohol-free Christmas ale.
With the evenings drawing in and the weather getting chilly, we think Jólabókaflóð! is a tradition worth sharing.
