Iceland has unveiled their full christmas range for 2019, and alongside some classics like turkey, mince pies and pigs in blankets, there are also some interesting new twists on the standard. Icelands book and chocolate tradition is the perfect way. But theres something about the thought of beating the arctic temperatures outside by settling in with a big blanket, hot chocolate, your favorite album, and a. In iceland, there is a beautiful tradition to gift books to. So books became the primary christmas gift for most icelandic families, and its been that way ever since. This tradition is the reason for the word jolabokaflod, or christmas book flood. Indulge your sweet tooth or treat a friend to some delicious traditional icelandic chocolate and pastilles for a complete icelandic experience. Icelands christmas range puts a new twist on some festive. Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world, with five titles published.
Jolabokaflod icelands wonderful christmas book flood. These books are then given as presents on christmas eve, and people spend the night sitting in bed and reading them. Sometimes the biggest ideas can come from the smallest of places. Christmas 2020 christmas food iceland foods iceland. Photo by roman gerasymenko christmastime is just around the corner, which means that, soon, icelandic publishing houses will be releasing hundreds of new titles onto the icelandic book market, commencing a unique tradition known as the jolabokaflo.
Icelandic souvenirs are an elegance choice for those who want a distinction gift. This christmas tradition involves getting a brandnew book on christmas eve and reading it in bed with some hot chocolate. The cozy icelandic christmas tradition youll want to steal. Iceland is rather unique with such a bookish national tradition, but we put the call out and discovered how many of you have family bookish traditions. In addition to spending christmas eve tucked in with a good book, icelanders will often enjoy hot chocolate or jolabland a nonalcoholic holiday ale with their.
Dec 25, 2017 the beautiful icelandic tradition of giving books on christmas eve. Couldnt find any books specifically about the yule cat, except this one that mentions him. In iceland, people exchange books as christmas eve presents. Jonasson, president of the iceland publishers association, tells npr. Christmas 2020 christmas food iceland foods iceland foods. Dec 21, 2015 icelanders have a beautiful tradition of giving books to each other on christmas eve and then spending the night reading.
Books have been the christmas gift of choice in this small nation for decades. With so many books circulating, it only makes sense that christmas traditions in iceland involve books. Dec 20, 2018 first comes a hearty christmas meal smoked lamb, fermented and pickled fish, all washed down with a questionable cocktail of malt beer and orange soda, followed by christmas mass at 6 p. Christmas season starts when the first yule lad comes to town days before christmas eve, and finishes when the last one leaves town twelfth night. Iceland has the most lovely christmas eve tradition. Born out of centuries of mythical storytelling and an innovative wartime workaround, icelands christmas eve tradition of giving books is a charming manifestation of their national character. Iceland has a decadesold giftgiving tradition during christmas that is worth emulating in other countries. It signifies the time between september and december when the.
In reykjavik, where 200,000 icelanders live, the city library saw 1. Icelandic christmas useful information about iceland. And from the moment the catalog arrives until christmas eve, all of iceland is. Iceland as many of you will know is the country that sells the greatest number of books per capita and most of them are sold in the weeks leading up to christmas. Since its establishment in 1920, noi sirius has grown to become the largest confectionery manufacturer in iceland, with an annual turnover in 2006 of 17,000,000. Icelands book and chocolate tradition is the perfect. Iceland might be the best place in the world to be a book loverand christmas in iceland might be the best time of year. In iceland they have a christmas eve tradition called jolabokaflod where you exchange books with your friends and family and afterwards you all read your books together while eating chocolate. People in iceland will often exchange books on christmas eve, then spend the rest of the night reading them and eating chocolate. The cozy icelandic christmas tradition youll want to. The beautiful icelandic tradition of giving books on christmas eve. Add this to your knowledge of scandinavian book traditions, easter norwegian reading tradition paskekrim. As i read about unique cultural traditions of christmas around the world, i learned that the people of iceland also love books.
Christmas in iceland means a flood of books under the tree. Jolabokaflod sounds like the best way to spend the holidays. We stock a variety of classic icelandic candy brands, including gou, lindu, appolo, and noisirius which is worldfamous for being icelands oldest chocolate company. Quality street christmas chocolate, toffee and cremes box 240g. The christmas eve book giving tradition is the culmination of a monthslong national literary celebration called jolabokaflo. Icelands christmas eve tradition of giving books will make. Throughout this bustling and muchanticipated yearly event, bookstores across. Icelands population was not large enough to support a yearround publishing industry, so book publishers flooded the market with new titles in the final weeks of the year. The beautiful icelandic tradition of giving books on. Ready to shake up your familys christmas eve traditions. With less than five hours of sunlight a day in winter. 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. In iceland, this is known as the christmas book flood.
In iceland, where a vibrant literary culture has thrived since the middle ages, the most popular christmas gift is a. A celebration of icelands christmas folklore as want to read. In 1944 the icelandic book trade started sending a book catalogue to every household in november. In september, the iceland publishers association mails a book catalog called the bokati. Dec 24, 2017 iceland has the most lovely christmas eve tradition. Book lovers will want to adopt this lovely holiday tradition, which melds literary and holiday pleasures into a single event. The tradition in iceland is that everyone must receive at least one book for christmas to take to bed on christmas eve along with some chocolates. Nov 17, 2017 the culture of giving books as presents is very deeply rooted in how families perceive christmas as a holiday, kristjan b. Our market share is approximately 30% of the total. One of my facebook friends just published a little snippet about jolabokaflod, the christmas book flood. The world is embracing icelands jolabokaflod christmas eve tradition, where friends and family give books as gifts, then settle in for a night of reading, often with a cup of hot chocolate.
There seems to be nothing more festive than reading a book in front of a warm fire with a blanket and a cup of hot cocoa, but icelanders have taken this cozy image to a new level in iceland, there is a lovely tradition to gift books to each other on christmas eve and then spend the night before christmas reading. Dec 22, 2017 people use this catalogue to order books to give to their friends and family on christmas eve, the main giftgiving day in iceland. Throughout this bustling and muchanticipated yearly event, bookstores across iceland. There they give books to each other on christmas eve and then spend the night reading, usually curled up under a cozy blanket while eating chocolate. Dec 21, 2018 in addition to spending christmas eve tucked in with a good book, icelanders will often enjoy hot chocolate or jolabland a nonalcoholic holiday ale with their pageturners. See more ideas about iceland christmas, iceland and yule. Dec 19, 2017 iceland s christmas traditions derive from norse paganism and a time when people, without electricity, were desperate to fend off darkness. Then you spend the rest of the night in bed reading them and eating chocolate. First comes a hearty christmas meal smoked lamb, fermented and pickled fish, all washed down with a questionable cocktail of malt beer and orange soda, followed by christmas mass at 6 p. It certainly sounds like a perfect christmas too all bookworms. In iceland, books are exchanged as christmas eve presents, then you spend the rest of the night reading in bed reading them and eating chocolate. Why every book lover should steal icelands christmas tradition. Literary iceland revels in its annual christmas book. This custom is so deeply ingrained in the culture that it is the reason.
And so, beginning in november, hundreds of books are released onto the market and the talk is all about books in the media, in the workplace, among family and friends, and at christmas parties. In addition to spending christmas eve tucked in with a good book, icelanders will often enjoy hot chocolate or jolabland a nonalcoholic holiday ale with their pageturners. Dec 28, 2008 iceland as many of you will know is the country that sells the greatest number of books per capita and most of them are sold in the weeks leading up to christmas. Founding story jolabokaflod jolabokaflod christmas book. Why every book lover should steal icelands christmas. This tradition is so popular that it is even called the christmasbookflood. Icelands christmas eve tradition of giving books will. The world is embracing iceland s jolabokaflod christmas eve tradition, where friends and family give books as gifts, then settle in for a night of reading, often with a cup of hot chocolate. Dec 02, 2014 10 recipes for an iceland inspired christmas. Icelands christmas traditions derive from norse paganism and a time when people, without electricity, were desperate to fend off darkness. Iceland is a sparsely populated island of some 330,000 people.
The annual book flood tradition begins with a publishers catalog in every mailbox. Dec 22, 2015 iceland is a sparsely populated island of some 330,000 people. Its a fun book on the different yule lads of christmas in iceland. In iceland, there is a beautiful tradition to gift books. In iceland, the best christmas gift is a book and it has been that way for decades. Iceland celebrates christmas unlike any other country in. During the festive season, gifts are opened on 24 december and, by tradition, everyone reads the books they have been given straight away, often while drinking hot chocolate or alcoholfree christmas ale called jolabland. Icelandan invitation to the 12 countries of christmas. For as long as i can remember, my family has exchanged books on christmas eve. There is an amazing icelandic tradition to gift books on christmas eve. This tradition began during world war ii once iceland had gained its independence for denmark in 1944.
Dec 26, 2016 in iceland, books are exchanged as christmas eve presents, then you spend the rest of the night in bed reading them and eating chocolate. Almost seven out of 10 icelanders buy at least one book as a christmas gift, according to the icelandic publishers association. On christmas eve night, icelanders exchange books then spend the evening reading and eating chocolate. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Dec 20, 2017 iceland has a decadesold giftgiving tradition during christmas that is worth emulating in other countries. People use this catalogue to order books to give to their friends and family on christmas eve, the main giftgiving day in iceland. So, after the presents have been unwrapped, many like to cuddle up in their pajamas preferably with a box of chocolate and read their new christmas book. But in iceland, the best christmas gift is a book and it has been that way for decades. Dec 08, 2015 one of my facebook friends just published a little snippet about jolabokaflod, the christmas book flood. Also being in iceland for christmas this book helped understand more about what you see around the city. There is a rich tradition for publishing books and giving books. Iceland celebrates christmas unlike any other country in the. After all the presents are open, everyone grabs a cup of hot chocolate and cozies up to spend the rest of the evening reading their books.
The tradition is part of a season called jolabokaflod, or the christmas book flood, because iceland, which publishes more books per capita than any other country, sells most of its books between september and november due to people preparing for the. People use the catalogue to order books to give friends and family for christmas. Dec 21, 2017 in iceland, the best christmas gift is a book and it has been that way for decades. Given that other products and gifts were few and far between, icelanders made the best of the situation and gave each other books to enjoy. In iceland, books are exchanged as christmas eve presents, then. Why icelanders spend every christmas eve reading books and drinking cocoa. In iceland, books are exchanged as christmas eve presents, then you spend the rest of the night in bed reading them and eating chocolate. Check out some other fun christmas traditions from around the world. The tradition is so intrinsic within the icelandic culture that the majority of books in iceland are sold between september and december in the christmas book flood or the jolabokaflod.
Come to discover a piece of iceland and get a different souvenir. In iceland, there is a lovely tradition to gift books to each other on christmas eve and then spend the night before christmas reading. The culture of giving books as presents is very deeply rooted in how families perceive christmas as a holiday, kristjan b. In iceland, we talk about the christmas book flood, because there are so many new books published each year before christmas. Oct 25, 2018 jolabokaflod is an icelandic christmas eve tradition involving gifting books and reading them in bed, while eating chocolate. So beginning in november, hundreds of books are published and the talk is all about books, once christmas is over and the books have been read. Christmas in iceland lasts for 26 days, from the 11th of december until the 6th of january, and iceland has santa clauses, or yule lads. Icelandic christmas traditions whats on in iceland. This increase in giving books as presents reinforced icelands culture as a nation. Traditionally, books are the single most popular christmas gift in iceland during the holiday. Cornflakes bring a pleasing crunch to these fluffy, chewy chocolate meringues. Find imaginative and affordable souvenirs and gifts from iceland. Today we employ people, making us a significant employer in a country with just 300,000 inhabitants. In the months before christmas, there are a lot of books published and sold in iceland.