The Christmas Book Flood: Iceland’s Literature-Loving Holiday Tradition
In Iceland, the most popular Christmas gifts aren’t the latest iProducts or kitchen gadgets. They’re books. Each year, Iceland celebrates what’s known as Jólabókaflóðið: the annual Yule Book Flood.
The holiday season is the Black Friday of the Icelandic publishing world—but it’s not just about one day. According to Reader’s Digest, at the beginning of November, each household in Iceland gets a copy of the Bokatidindi, the Iceland Publishers Association’s catalog of all the books that will be published that year, giving residents a chance to pick out holiday books for their friends and family. September to November marks Icelandic publishers’ biggest season, and many sell the majority of their yearly stock leading up to Christmas. Even g… Continue Reading (3 minute read)