jolabokaflod

American  

[yoh-luh-boh-kuh-flawd, joh-] / ˌyoʊ ləˈboʊ kəˌflɔd, ˌdʒoʊ- /

noun

1. an Icelandic tradition in which books are given as Christmas presents and opened on December 24, after which the evening is spent reading the books: from a practice begun in 1944, when paper goods were among the most available items in postwar Iceland.

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Etymology

Origin of jolabokaflod

First recorded in 2015–20; from Icelandic Jólabókaflóðið; literally, “(the) Christmas book flood,” a tradition in Iceland dating from 1944; from Jól “Christmas” + bók “book” + flóð “flood” + -ið, suffixed neuter article; see also Yule ( def. ), book ( def. ), flood ( def. )

Explanation

Jolabokaflod is an Icelandic tradition involving giving books as Christmas gifts. If you always ask for books at gift-giving occasions, jolabokaflod might sound like a dream come true. Jolabokaflod is an Icelandic word that literally translates to "Christmas book flood." That translation gives you the bare bones of what you need to know. It started just after WWII, when many common imports to Iceland were highly restricted, but paper goods weren't, making books a popular Christmas gift. This developed into a yearly cycle of buying books as Christmas gifts out of a catalogue released every year, opening the gifts on Christmas Eve, and reading long into the night.

Example Sentences

In Iceland, it is called the jolabokaflod, or the “Christmas book flood.”

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2022