Have Yourself a Merry Little Jolabokaflod

Jolabokaflod — roughly pronounced Yola-bokah-flowed — translates to “Yule (or Christmas) Book Flood." It’s the Icelandic tradition of exchanging books on the night of Christmas Eve. The rest of the evening is then devoted to reading your new book, and drinking hot cocoa. These days, Icelandic gift-givers typically offer chocolate treats as presents for Jolabokaflod along with a new page-turner.

This particular tradition came out of World War II in 1944, shortly after Iceland gained its independence from Denmark. As part of the war effort, many commodities we normally take for granted were heavily rationed, but the restrictions on paper weren’t as limited. As a result, books quickly became the fashionable gift of choice — and what better way to enjoy a new book than with a sweet treat like hot cocoa? 

There is a saying in Iceland: “Ad ganga med bok I maganum,"  or “Everyone gives birth to a book.” Literature is a really big deal in Iceland. They publish more books per capita than any other country in the world, with one in 10 Icelanders publishing a book in their lifetime. Thanks to the internet and social media, bookworms around the globe have been able to learn about and happily adopt the Jolabokaflod tradition to share it with their friends and families. 

Books are awesome! Plus, it’s a cozy, low-key way to take a little holiday time-out. All through the season, we’re pulled from holiday parties, to work gift exchanges, to ugly sweater brunches. We drive ourselves bonkers trying to find the perfect gifts for loved ones, teachers, delivery workers. We go out of our way to do a little something special for the people in our lives we appreciate — but we have so very little time and energy left over for ourselves, and our families.

Jolabokaflod is a festive way to pump the brakes on the holiday. Take a moment to get cozy, slow down for quality time with a new story, and to savor chocolate melting on your tongue. 

From cooking and DIYs, to activity books filled with puzzles and drawing inspiration, to immersive story books that leave readers hanging on every word — the best thing about books is there’s a subject out there for everyone. Choose a topic that best suits your giftee, wrap it up with a chocolate treat, then tuck in for a cozy gift exchange, and a cozy evening filled with new stories.

You don’t need to know how to read to enjoy a good book. Try a stunning picture book full of vibrant colors, and a sturdy, board book construction to help little hands master the whole page-turning-thing. 

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