When I first learned about the Icelandic holiday tradition known as Jolabokaflod, I wanted to pack up and move to Iceland. But that wasn’t practical, so I decided to adopt the tradition for my own family.
Jolabokaflod (pronounced YO-lah-BOAK-ah-flowed) loosely translates to “Christmas book flood.” Every year on Christmas Eve, Icelandic families get together to exchange new books. The rest of the evening is spent reading and enjoying festive treats such as chocolates, hot tea or cocoa.
The tradition dates back to World War II, when Iceland found itself with limited imports after it gained its independence from Denmark. Paper was abundant, though, so books became the go-to Christmas gift for loved ones. Icelanders continued the tradition, and books are still the most popular Christmas gift in that country.
My husband, Andy, and I are both avid readers, so we decided to start our own Jolabokaflod tradition. Every year, we make a list of possible books for family members based on their interests, or their favorite authors and genres. Throughout the year, we scour book swaps, library book sales, used bookstores and discount sites to find just the right book for each person. We wrap each one in brown paper with colorful ribbon, and we hand them out on Christmas Eve.
It’s fun to watch our adult children, grandkids and parents open their packages to see which book we chose. One year our daughter-in-law received a signed copy of a favorite cookbook. We look for a feel-good title for Andy’s mom, and poetry for our daughter Hannah. Finding a book for Grandpa Miles is a challenge, because he reads even more than we do.
It’s nice knowing that amid the holiday madness, our family members will have a new book to curl up with. Merry Christmas, and a Joyous Jolabokaflod to you.
