Icelandic Christmas book flood facts for kids
The Christmas book flood or Yule book flood (Icelandic: Jólabókaflóðið) is a special tradition in Iceland. Every year, many new books are released in the months before Christmas. People buy these books as gifts to give on Christmas Eve. This makes books the most popular Christmas present in Iceland! The tradition continues into the night. Icelanders often read their new books and drink hot chocolate.
New books are listed in a yearly catalog called the Journal of Books (Icelandic: Bókatíðindi). This catalog is sent to every home for free. When the Journal comes out, it marks the start of the book flood. This also signals the beginning of the holiday season. This tradition comes from Iceland's long history with books. It also started because of the economy during World War II. Back then, it was hard to import many gifts. But paper was easier to get. So, books became the favorite Christmas gift and stayed that way.
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The History of Iceland's Book Tradition
Iceland has a very long history of loving books and writing. People have been writing there since the nation was first settled.
Early Icelandic Writing: Runes and Sagas
The first examples of writing in Iceland were Runes. These came from the Nordic cultures that first moved to Iceland. Runes have been found in Iceland from the 10th Century. But other old texts suggest they existed as early as the 800s. People even thought these runes were gifts from the gods. This shows how important writing was from the very start of Icelandic culture.
Later, a famous collection of stories called the Icelandic Sagas truly sparked Iceland's love for books. These stories were written between the 12th and 15th Centuries. However, many believe they were first told as oral tales before being written down. The Sagas started as historical records. Over time, they became more like detailed stories. For Icelanders, these were written tales about families and individuals. They helped keep records of Icelandic society. With such a strong foundation of reading and writing, the love for literature continued to grow.
How the Book Flood Began
The Christmas book flood officially started in 1944. This was when the Journal of Books was first published. It happened because of the economy after World War II. Many countries focused on rebuilding their own economies. This meant fewer imports came into Iceland from other nations. Most types of giftware were hard to get.
However, rules on paper goods were not as strict. This made paper a more common import after the war. Iceland had stayed neutral in the war. So, it did not face the same economic problems as most of Europe. Icelanders had more money to spend, but fewer things to buy. When the holiday season arrived, books were the most available gift. This is how they became, and remained, the top Christmas present.
See also
In Spanish: Jólabókaflóð para niños
- Jolabokaflod CIC
- Christmas in Iceland
- Icelandic Christmas folklore
- St. George's Day in Catalonia, another holiday celebrated by the giving of books
- World Book Day
