20 Dec Winter Holiday Traditions: The Jólabókaflóð

Are you celebrating a holiday with your family this winter and looking for something new to try? Why not take some inspiration from the Icelandic Jólabókaflóð tradition? 

What is it? 

In Iceland, Jólabókaflóð (which translates to “The Yule book flood” in English) is a special holiday tradition that is celebrated on Christmas Eve in which family members exchange books and spend some time drinking hot chocolate and reading their new literary finds. 

How did it start?

After gaining independence from Denmark after World War II, many goods were rationed, but paper goods (such as books) remained relatively inexpensive and easy to access for gift-givers. (Fun fact: Iceland held the record for publishing the most books per capita world-wide for many years.) As a result of this developing tradition, Icelanders receive a catalog from Icelandic publishers every year in November listing the new titles that can be ordered in time for Christmas.

How can we celebrate it? 

While traditionally celebrated in Iceland on Christmas Eve, the Jólabókaflóð can be incorporated into any gift-giving winter holiday celebration. In Iceland, there are some variations on how books are chosen and distributed: some families gift specific books to individual family members, while others provide a stack of books on a shared table and let individuals pick out the book that most interests them. However, the essentials are that family members are provided with a new book of interest and given some time to read their new book while drinking hot chocolate. How might your family adapt this holiday tradition for your next gift exchange?

Read More

Emily Kilgore’s The Christmas Book Flood https://plainfield.evergreenindiana.org/Record/22756607 

Alda Sigmundsdóttir’s The Little Book of The Icelanders at Christmas https://plainfield.evergreenindiana.org/Hoopla/16854303 

Sources

De la Mare, Guinevere. Penguin Random House. Jólabókaflóð: Meet Your Favorite New Holiday Tradition. Website. Accessed 13 December 2024. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/articles/jolabokaflod-meet-favorite-new-holiday-tradition/ 

Jolabokaflod CIC. Founding Story: How Jólabókaflóðið became. Website. Accessed 13 December 2024. https://jolabokaflod.org/about/founding-story/ 

Leath, Ashley. Country Living. Why Icelanders Spend Every Christmas Eve Reading Books and Drinking Cocoa. Website. Accessed 13 December 2024. https://www.countryliving.com/life/a46204/jolabokaflod-iceland-christmas-reading-tradition/ 

Palmer, Alex. 2020. The Atlas of Christmas: The Merriest, Tastiest, Quirkiest Holiday Traditions from Around the World. Philadelphia, PA: Running Press.

Written by Amy R., Youth Services Library Assistant