Santa Reading a Book by the Fireplace

About this drawing

Santa reading a book by the fire captures one of the loveliest holiday traditions in the world, the one celebrated in Iceland. Icelanders call it Jólabókaflóð, which roughly means the Christmas book flood.

In the weeks before the holidays, Icelandic publishers release many new titles, and nearly every household receives a catalog listing the year's books. Families page through it to plan their gifts, and books become the present of the season.

The best part comes on Christmas Eve. Icelanders usually open gifts on the night of the 24th, and many spend the rest of the evening curled up with their new books, often with hot chocolate or a sweet treat.

The custom took hold during World War II, when many goods were rationed but paper was easier to come by. Today it has fans far beyond Iceland, and it fits the cozy mood perfectly: a blanket, a fire, a quiet room and a good story. Maybe that is why so many readers around the world now borrow the idea, giving a book on Christmas Eve and spending the evening reading together. It is a quiet tradition that anyone can start at home.

• santa
• reading
• books
• christmas
• cozy