Jolabokaflod: Your New Favourite Holiday Tradition

This holiday season, why not try out the Icelandic tradition, Yule Book Flood, or Jalobokaflod? Where you exchange books (and chocolate) with your loved ones on Christmas Eve and then stay up all night escaping into another world. No wonder this is becoming Facebook famous for many book lovers.

"Jólabókaflóð, or “Yule Book Flood,” originated during World War II when foreign imports were restricted, but paper was cheap. Iceland’s population was not large enough to support a year-round publishing industry, so book publishers flooded the market with new titles in the final weeks of the year. While giving books is not unique to Iceland, the tradition of exchanging books on Christmas Eve and then spending the evening reading, is becoming a cultural phenomenon."(http://www.readitforward.com/essay/article/jolabokaflod-meet-favorite-new-holiday-tradition/)