Once upon a time, the people of Iceland developed a wonderful holiday tradition. And then, thanks to the power of the Internet, the rest of the world learned of this delightful holiday activity and adopted it wholeheartedly. If you haven’t already joined the fun of Jólabókaflód, you’re about to discover a jolly holiday treat!
Great question! The translation of Jólabókaflód is “Christmas book flood” and refers to the flood of new books published in Iceland each year in advance of the Christmas season. The word is tricky to pronounce in English, but if you say yo-la-boke-uh-flowed, you’ll be close.
Today, the word Jólabókaflód is associated with a charming Icelandic tradition in which family members exchange books on Christmas Eve and then snuggle into their favorite cozy reading spot along with their new books and some chocolate. The tradition is said to date back to World War II when paper wasn’t rationed in Iceland and books were popular gifts. It remains a sweet and simple tradition. Books and chocolate–what’s not to love?
Some of the best traditions are born when you personalize them to suit your family. Here are some Jólabókaflód variations to help jump-start your plans. Feel free to fine tune the ideas below in whatever ways will delight your family the most!
Exchanging names and keeping them secret adds a heightened sense of mystery to the occasion. Write the name of each family member on a slip of paper and ask each person to draw a name. But don’t tell anyone whose name you drew! On the night of the Jólabókaflód exchange, each giver can reveal their identity to the recipient.
In addition to books, why not add another element of fun? Perhaps each family member receives a new bookmark along with their book. Some families exchange coffee mugs; others exchange ornaments. What extra treat would your family love most?
Jólabókaflód doesn’t have to occur on Christmas Eve. You could plan it for a few days before or after Christmas, or kick off the Christmas season with a Thanksgiving Jólabókaflód (an event that some of us fondly call Thanksgivabokaflod, which seems fitting since you “give a book”).
Here’s another area where it’s fun to improvise. In Iceland, the book exchange tradition involves a cup of hot chocolate or some type of warm holiday beverage, but the flood of Jólabókaflód memes on social media have generally suggested eating chocolate on Christmas Eve while reading your new book. Perhaps you could distribute chocolate bars along with the books, or opt for foil-wrapped chocolates in Christmas colors, or skip the chocolate in favor of candy canes.
Instead of drawing names and choosing a book specifically for your recipient, try this variation: Each person chooses a book that they have particularly enjoyed and all the books go in a stack. Each family member then chooses a book that looks interesting to them.
Make Jólabókaflód even more interesting by choosing a theme for the books. Maybe everyone can exchange Christmas-themed books, or books related to history, or nature-themed books. Graphic novels? Poetry books? You could even choose picture books as your theme and give each person (even adults!) a picture book.
Holiday gatherings may look a little different this year, but you don’t have to get together in person to celebrate the fun of Jólabókaflód! Send a small package containing a book and some chocolate to surprise a loved one with some holiday fun. Or plan a virtual Jólabókaflód via video chat and exchange books at the same time.
Shopping for books is always a treat, but it can be challenging to choose the perfect book for each family member. Each person could make a short list of desired titles, or you can try to surprise them with a book you hope they’ll love. If you need ideas for the little ones on your Jólabókaflód list, be sure to check out our reviews and lists of picture books and chapter books.
Do you have a Jólabókaflód tradition at your house? Tell us how you celebrate!
Photos by: Rachel Neumann
Marion Shaw Harris
says:Thanks for posting.This is a beautiful tradition.
In the midst of reading this post I added my favourite chihdren’s books beside the TV in an area that had small stuffed toys and a large stuffed lion as a cushion.
This could encourage young readers entering this space to CHOOSE to cozy on up and read.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceIt sounds like your cozy reading nook is a great place, Marion!
Veronica
says:This would be such a fun tradition to start! I’ve gotten my daughters several books for Christmas. Maybe they’ll have to get them on Christmas Eve, and we can all enjoy our books with some cocoa 😁
Robin
says: Customer ServiceOh, that sounds like a lovely idea, Veronica!
Sarah
says:We give each child an ornament and book on St. Nicholas Day (Dec.6) to enjoy reading through the Christmas season. We spend plenty of time reading both new books, and a pile of our seasonal favorites that day.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceSounds like a wonderful tradition, Sarah! Thank you for sharing.
Issy
says:This is a great idea! My children love books. Thank you for all the wonderful ideas you put out here for us!
Issy
says:This is a great idea! My children love books, and thanks to your program my oldest is starting to like reading, still a challenge but he’s improving so much! Thank you for all the wonderful ideas you put out here for us!
Robin
says: Customer ServiceI was excited to hear that All About Reading is helping your child to like reading, Issy!
Andrea
says:This is a fun idea, Thank you for sharing!
Robin
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Andrea!
Solveig Starling
says:I’ve been wanting to try this for a long time, and all the helpful info on how to host a jolabokaflod is just what I need to get me started!
I Can’t wait to start sending invites out, and see how it goes…
Robin
says: Customer ServiceI’d love to hear how it goes, Solveig!
Sarah Daulton
says:Love this idea!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWonderful, Sarah!
Tanya
says:Such a beautiful tradition; thank you for sharing it as this is the first I’ve learned of it. I’ve only found this website recently and I am very impressed by all the resources and articles available for free and purchase.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad this website has had an impression on you, Tanya! Thank you. If you ever have any questions or need anything, just reach out.
Kristin
says:What a fun tradition! Thank you for sharing
Meg D
says:We skipped the candy or tiny toy advent calendar this year & did a 30day countdown to christmas with new (to us) holiday books at bedtime. I was inspired by this humble Iceland tradition. BookBundler for the win on books & i wrapped a weeks worth of books at a time & reused the paper over & over to keep it more eco friendly too. Was a lovely adaptation and something i intend to make a tradition.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWe love a good Christmas book advent calendar, Meg! We even have printables for one in our Create a Christmas Book Advent Calendar blog post.
Lynette Hunt
says:Good idea! We might do this next Thanksgiving.
Hayle
says:Love this idea!! Maybe next Christmas we will do something like this!!
Karrie
says:What a great tradition! We may have to try something like this. Thanks for sharing the idea.
Tracey Masters
says:I have a ton of Christmas books. I think we’ll do this tonight!
Rebecca
says:What a great idea. I used to work at the library and will share this with friends there. Also, thanks for the book suggestions.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYour welcome, Rebecca!
Sarah
says:This is such a great idea! Thank you!
Robin Hanson
says:Thank You for all your weekly emails.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Robin!
Candice
says:I love this!
Lydia R.
says:Something to consider for next Christmas!
For my older one’s birthday, half the time we have a gently used book exchange instead of presents. I always brought extra books for those who didn’t bring a book; it’s a nice way to get books to new homes every year.
Jennavieve
says:This sounds like soo much fun! I’ll have to keep it in mind for next year! Cant wait!
Paula V.
says:I love the flexibility offered. I get stuck sometimes on the “rules” and love being reminded that I can use the parts that work for us and change/remove the parts that don’t.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad this helped you to think of how you can implement this in a way that fits for you, Paula!
Debra C
says:My Usbourne lady offers a 12 books of Christmas service, so we have lots of new books for the kids this year. But I’m thinking we need to get something like this going for the adults now.
Brandi
says:I love this idea! We’ll probably move it to New Year’s Eve in our family though. We stay up then anyways.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI do like the idea of bringing in the New Year with books and chocolate, Brandi!
Anu
says:I just recently learned about this tradition!! Books and chocolate?!?! My faves! It truly sounds wonderful and I can’t wait to try it with my kids and husband!
Hannah Hsi
says:This is so cute! I love seeing the kids getting lost in a book.
Susan E Stitch
says:Such a brilliant idea!
Simah
says:Awesome ideas! I am so glad all my kids love books. They are a perfect gift!
Jess
says:Thank you for sharing this tradition. I wasn’t aware. I find it so interesting.
Erin
says:I love this! What a great idea!