What is the Icelandic “Book Flood”?
In Iceland, the months leading up to Christmas are dominated by books. Publishers time their big releases for late autumn, and the new titles are all gathered into a catalog called Bókatíðindi (the Journal of Books), which is mailed to every household in the country. The arrival of this catalog is considered the official start of the Christmas season.
The concept of “give a book, share a story, make a memory” doesn’t need to be limited to Iceland. Norway shares the same values of coziness, reading, and relational gift-giving. By adopting even a version of it—a deliberate book-gift, a reading evening, a book-ish holiday rhythm—you bring richness, connection, and literature into the heart of a season.