Naoko Tochibayashi
December 10, 2025
Every 24 December, Icelanders give each other books. Then unwrap them with a tasty cup of hot chocolate. The tradition is known as Jólabókaflóð (Jolabokaflod) or ‘Christmas book flood’. One Icelandic proverb says, “it's better to be without shoes than be without a book”. Here’s the story behind the amazing Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod and what it means for the present generations.
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Naoko Tochibayashi
December 10, 2025