In Iceland, They Spend Christmas Eve Reading Books Received as Gifts
That sounds perfect!
Icelanders love their books. In 2015, there were 900 000 book loans at the Reykjavík City Library— in a city of just under 123 000 people! The country publishes more books per capita than any other and, in 2011, Reykjavík was designated a UNESCO City of Literature.
From September to November is when most books are purchased and this national tradition has a special name: Jolabokaflod, or the “Christmas Book Flood.”
On Christmas Eve, Icelanders open their gifts, many of them books, and then spend the rest of the evening reading. Delightful!
Read more about the book industry in Iceland from NPR, HERE.
