Jolabokaflod – A Tradition Worth Emulating

You’ve probably seen memes about Jólabókaflóð on Facebook these days what with Christmas happening a few days from now. For those who haven’t heard about this tradition, Jólabókaflóð, or “Yule Book Flood”, is a tradition in Iceland where people exchange books on Christmas Eve and then spend the rest of the evening reading their new book. (yes, bookworms, there is another way of spending your holidays this year, other than enjoying what’s on your dinner table, which is not that bad either).

In Iceland, their holiday season officially starts when a catalogue of books published in Iceland is delivered to their homes. Take note that this catalog is for free. No wonder around 93% of Icelanders have read at least one book every year! As a matter of fact, Iceland ranks third in the most literate country in the world with Finland and Norway ranking first and second respectively.

Here in the Philippines, the Christmas season officially begins with Jose Mari Chan’s Christmas songs being played in malls and radio stations (and it’s not yet even December!). Christmas lights, decorations, and whatnot are being sold here and there in anticipation of the biggest holiday, with malls going on sale just in time for last-minute holiday shopping. (the traffic!)

Jólabókaflóð may be a unique concept here in the Philippines, but it is something worth considering whether you are a bookworm or not. After all, wouldn’t you like to be swept away into the pages of a good book while you settle in a comfy chair or on your bed on Christmas Eve? Or perhaps swap stories with your family about the books you’ve read and see where it leads you?