Design Postcards: Jolabokaflod

The Icelandic tradition of giving books at Christmas.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

These posts seem to have developed a slightly international flavour, which works well for a postcard. So far I have written about terrazzo eggs in Venice, the round gardens of Copenhagen, Superga trainers from Turin and the many designs of William Morris. This time the card comes from Iceland – and it’s appropriate for the time of year.

Jolabokaflod translates to “Christmas Book Flood” and dates back to 1944, when Iceland gained independence from Denmark. Paper was one of the few commodities that had not been rationed, which meant that books made good and affordable gifts. (A 2013 survey found that Icelanders published and read more books than any other Nordic country; apparently more than 50 per cent of them read more than eight books a year.)

Spotting an opportunity, every year since 1944, the Icelandic Book Trade publishes a catalogue of books that is sent to every household in November – to coincide with the Reykjavik Book Fair – so they can choose the books they want to give for Christmas.

Tradition dictates that the books are opened on 24 December and read immediately while drinking hot chocolate. I just can’t think of anything nicer. Apart, perhaps, from giving a bar of chocolate with the book. Ruth Crilly (whose Substack is rather brilliant by the way) does an annual pairing of Books & Chocs to make it even easier for you. I rather love the idea of choosing a book for someone and then choosing a chocolate for the book. Do suggest your own pairings below.

One of my favourite series is the Brunetti books by Donna Leon, about a policeman who lives in Venice. I have mentioned these before – it’s less about the crime and more about the enduring love of Brunetti not just for his city, but also for his wife Paola who loves reading and quite often takes to the sofa for the afternoon with a book. Since learning about Paola, I too have more often given myself permission for a small daytime lie-down with a book. My chocolate of choice for this would be dark chocolate-covered salted almonds – because there’s crime, so it’s salty (the Grand Canal is a mixture of fresh and salinated water) the chocolate is dark (so are the murders) and Brunetti must crack the case, hence the nut. Actually I think we can now see why this is Ruth’s thing not mine, but heartily recommended nonetheless.

If you are still short of present ideas then there is 25 per cent off my gift subscription should you fancy giving someone a year’s interior design knowledge (chocolate recommendations to be added accordingly).