Do you plan on celebrating Jolabokaflod? Iceland’s “Christmas book flood” is the tradition of reading book gifts and drinking hot chocolate on Christmas Eve. Here, you’ll find the perfect ideas for what to gift and read this December 24 to complete your Christmas bucket list, and get printable illustrations and bookmarks to use as a card for your book gifts. Let’s combine the joy of giving with the love of reading!
What is Jolabokaflod? Learn the Meaning of Iceland’s Tradition
DEFINITION
Jolabokaflod (PRONUNCIATION: YO-lah-bok-ah-flod) is an Icelandic tradition that translates into English as “the Christmas book flood.” It began in World War II, when paper was not rationed in this book-loving country. Icelanders give book gifts to each other on Christmas Eve and celebrate the holidays by reading them with a glass of hot chocolate.
Jolabokaflod Books to Gift and Read
If you plan on partaking in Jolabokaflod festivities this year but can’t decide what to gift, request, or choose to read on this bookish holiday, here are ten great ideas to get your juices flowing:
- your favorite Christmas book
- a Christmas short story or novella
- a children’s Christmas book
- a book about Christmas traditions
- a Christmas mystery
- a Christmas romance
- a book about New Year’s Eve/Day
- a motivational book for the new year
- a book you’ve been meaning to read
- a book about chocolate
Below, I explore these ideas for what to read on Jolabokaflod in more detail and share my top recommendation for each prompt.
So much of the fun of Christmas involves the annual indulgence in your favorite festive media, from songs to movies and, of course, books! So, saving your annual re-read of your favorite Christmas book for Christmas Eve is a great idea when you’re celebrating Jolabokaflod.
I recommend my favorite Christmas book, The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, a beautifully illustrated children’s story of a boy who travels to the North Pole to learn the power of believing in the spirit of Christmas. Between the nostalgic story and the stunning imagery, it’s an immersive holiday experience.
Let’s be honest: Christmas Eve is a busy day for many, if not most, of us. Jolabokaflod is by no means the only Christmas tradition in which to partake. And then, there are also those pesky last-minute tasks.
For these reasons, a Christmas short story is another great way to read on Christmas without a major time commitment.
Here, my top pick is A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. It’s a holiday masterpiece that exquisitely blends Christmas nostalgia with the mix of joy and sadness that Christmas can bring. It tears your heart apart and puts it back together in a very literary way.
Many people already partake in a Christmas Eve tradition of reading with children, so why not combine a children’s Christmas book with Jolabokaflod?! And, what better book to recommend here than the popular classic The Night Before Christmas?! The title says it all.
Since Jolabokaflod is a Christmas tradition, another good idea for what to read on Christmas Eve is a book about Christmas traditions.
In John Grisham’s Skipping Christmas, a festive couple abandon their long-standing Christmas traditions, only to be persuaded otherwise by their neighbors and family.
This brief, fun read was also adapted to the film Christmas With the Kranks, so you can read and watch if you choose!
By Christmas Eve, some people are burned out by all the light and festive holiday hoopla. If that’s you, then a dark Christmas mystery may be how to celebrate Jolabokaflod with a different mood.
Author Peter Swanson said he envisioned the reader indulging in his holiday thriller, The Christmas Guest, with a warm beverage late on Christmas Eve, and I wholeheartedly agree. It’s short, unputdownable, festive, and eerie — all at the same time.
Christmas romance novels are the most popular adult genre each December, so many readers will try to squeeze in every last one before Christmas.
If this is you, there is no shortage of books from which to choose, but I always love to recommend One Day in December by Josie Silver each year. It’s a massively bestselling Reese’s Book Club pick that almost always satisfies readers. The good news is that it’s not too festive, so you can continue finishing it over the last week of December.
For those who like to look ahead to the future, Jolabokaflod is a great time to start a book about the New Year. There’s such a short window for prime reading time about this holiday, and many great books are on the theme.
I always recommend Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney, as it takes place only on New Year’s Eve. In this historical fiction narrative, an 85-year-old woman walks around New York City in 1984 and reminisces on her life. It sets the mood exactly right.
If nonfiction is more your vibe, why not partake in Jolabokaflod by preparing for next year with a New Year’s resolutions book?! It’s right around the corner, and there is no better time to get a jump start on setting yourself up for success.
Here, Atomic Habits by James Clear is the easiest book to recommend because it’s so massively popular (having sold a whopping twenty million copies). It’s easy-to-follow principles can apply to just about any New Year’s resolution, including a new reading habit!
At the end of the year, we are all trying to cram in everything we meant to do, including the books we meant to read but didn’t. As such, Jolabokaflod is a good time to start reaching this reading goal, whether or not you finish it by the New Year!
This prompt is subjective, so I will share my pick: the illustrated, interactive MinaLima version of Peter Pan. This edition feels especially magical for a magical holiday, and I’ve meant to get around to it forever.
Lastly, the Jolabokaflod tradition is an idea for a Christmas theme that involves not just reading books on Christmas Eve, but also drinking hot chocolate at the same time. I love a good bookish lifestyle pairing, so I recommend you read a book about chocolate as you sip.
Roald Dahl’s classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory comes to mind for a few reasons, including the fact that you can read it in one sitting and pair it with an adaptation.
Printable Jolabokaflod Bookmark Card
Use this printable bookmark to give out your book gifts on Jolabokaflod.
(Note: To print at the optimal size with your printer, adjust the “scale” if need be on your print preview screen. You can also choose “two pages per sheet” on a standard letter size paper (8.5″ x 11″).)
Conclusion
Iceland’s Jolabokaflod (the “Christmas book flood”) is a great way for any reader in any country to combine the joy of giving with the love of reading this Christmas Eve, simply by pairing book gifts with the drinking of hot chocolate.
To make it extra meaningful, consider ideas like re-reading your favorite Christmas book or reading a children’s Christmas book like the very timely classic The Night Before Christmas. Or, get a head start on your New Year’s reading.
Here’s hoping your Christmas Eve is completely flooded with books!
SHOP THE POST
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
Love this idea! I’m going to review my TBR lists to find something I’ve been wanting to read but just not made the time.