Jolabokaflod
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Add a little 'Jolabokaflod' to your holidays
Icelanders have a Christmas Eve tradition that is gaining popularity around the world. Jolabokaflod, which means “Christmas book flood,” is the custom of giving books as gifts on Christmas Eve then spending the evening reading. This tradition began during WWII, when other items were in short supply. Paper was not rationed so books became popular gifts.
Like most booklovers, this is a tradition I’m happy to adopt. Books are always on my Christmas wish list, as well as time to enjoy them. Right now, I’m reading a lot of romantic suspense as “research” for my Impossible Mission series. Anything by Toni Anderson, Cristin Harber or Katie Reus would go to the top of my TBR pile. If I find a quiet afternoon to curl up with a book for the pleasure of reading, Lisa Kleypas’ A Wallflower Christmas is my first choice for a holiday story.
Are books part of your holiday gift-giving traditions? If not, here are five ways to start a new bookish tradition.
- Pick a theme and have family members exchange book gifts related to the theme.
- Commemorate the 12 Days of Christmas with a new, gift-wrapped book awaiting the recipient every morning.
- Encourage your family to take a break from the holiday frenzy by sharing a story together. Disconnect from technology, make hot cocoa for all and listen while a chapter or scene is read aloud.
- Start a book collection you can contribute to every year. This might be signed print copies, the collected works of a favorite author or classics that can be enjoyed over and over again.
- Choose a book relevant to the recipient’s current life events and handwrite a heartfelt message. It might be an advice guide for a young person going off to college, a cookbook with recipes related to an exotic vacation destination or business advice for an entrepreneur.
For more information about this Icelandic tradition, visit Jolabokaflod.org.
