Why you need an Icelandic Book Tradition

And how we make it our own.

Picture this. 

It’s Christmas Eve, you’re at home. The log fire is being stoked by your loved one. You're wrapped in a chunky wool blanket. There’s a tree and lights and soft inspiring Christmas music fading into the walls of the living room. Your insides are dizzy and warm from eggnog, hot chocolate, or drink of choice. 

There beneath the tree are brown paper packages tied up with string. You best believe these are a few of your favorite things. 

Rectangular and square. Thin and thick. The surface dimensions are all beautifully different. 

Inside: books. 

Books picked specifically for you by your log-stoking lover. 

You open them. You ooo and ahh at the surprise. 

Then you make eye contact and realize what must happen next. Embraced with joy, you crack open the spines and dive in for an entire evening of reading. You may think you’re in heaven now, but alas you’ve just embarked on what’s sure to be a tradition you never stop: 

The Icelandic Book Flood. Or what true Icelanders call Jolabokaflod. 

Okay, okay ours doesn’t quite play up to this romanticism, we don’t even have a working fireplace. But, we have found ways over the past six-years to make this little tradition of gifting books and spending an evening reading together our own and we’ve become really fond of it.    

My husband Clayton and I first heard about the Book Flood after visiting Iceland during our self-branded ‘120 days of travel’ around the world adventure. We loved Iceland. The 24 hour-light, the waterfalls, the resilience of the 300,000 people that live there, and the fact that Icelanders are statistically rigorous readers. We admire this unique spot on the map and have enjoyed bringing back a tradition that aligns well with our own family values of reading and time together.

The Book Flood shifts the pressure of buying useless gifts and forces us to be thoughtful in choosing a book the other will enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, gifting a book holds a lot of pressure. It’s no easy task and shouldn’t be taken lightly. What ideas am I giving away, what perspective am I putting into someone's mind, and whatever book I choose better be worthwhile if I’m asking someone to spend their time reading it. 

We don’t embark on the Book Flood on actual Christmas Eve. We pick a date around the holidays that works and then we’re off to find the newest title to wrap up in brown paper. 

Well, that’s how Clayton approaches it. 

He approaches the challenge meticulously by reading reviews, comparing notes, and asking friends what they thought of their latest read. I envision him thoughtfully drafting lists in his notebook of possible options I’d enjoy; the latest popular fiction, a self-help must read. 

Me? Well, I’m not so calculated or really planned at all. Yeah, I’m pretty much the worst. 

The past few years have left me scrambling, praying the book I overnighted will be on the doorstep, or begging the lady at the local book store to ‘please look again’ for the title I Googled before walking in. I’m notorious for buying a book Clayton’s already read, or one we have sitting on the shelf. I don't mean to be this way, it just happens.

 I’ll get better next year. 

The rules of our Book Flood have evolved as our family has changed. The first few years of our marriage (child free), we opted to select each other three books:

1. A book we thought the other would enjoy

2. A book we liked and wanted them to read

3. A book for the family library, which was typically approached as a coffee table edition or long standing classic. 

I loved the idea of gifting three. It dialed down the pressure as you had more wiggle room to explore genres and titles, especially with the craft and care Clayton puts into his reading time and selections. Now, with two little ones we pair down the options. Clayton and I exchange one book, and each purchase a book for the girls. Leaving them with two and us with one each. Oof, the pressure of the limited options makes my stomach churn. 

Some books in the first years included: 

• Devotions by Mary Oliver

• The Nature of Order by Christopher Alexander

• String Theory by David Foster Wallace

• Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 

• Steal like an Artist by Austin Kleon 

• The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer by Christopher Clarey

• Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff

Each Book Flood I’m left with an incredible new read, while Clayton has been left with a duplicate or a book he respectfully remarks with, “Wow! What specifically made you think I’d like this one?” But regardless, we love the tradition. It’s easy to start and if you take the time and care to select something meaningful for the other, it’s an awesome way to slow down and connect during the busy rush of the holiday season. 

If you like this idea and try it next year be sure to let me know.

Oh, by the way, we’re doing the Book Flood when we get back from vacation next week…so, if you have any ideas for Clayton send them my way.

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Thanks to some of the fam for their vaca edits:

Ann Hagedorn

,

Laura

&

Clayton Dorge