Christmas in Iceland means a ‘flood’ of books under the tree

Visitors checking out the Iceland pavilion featuring giant projections of people reading at a recent Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. Since 1945, Iceland has celebrated its much-loved tradition of Jolabokaflod, or Christmas Book Flood. Photo: AFP

In the land of the Sagas, it isn’t Christmas if there isn’t a deluge of books under the tree – literally.

The Jolabokaflod, or Christmas Book Flood, is a much-loved tradition that has been celebrated in Iceland since 1945.