Bokaflod, Anyone? Bringing Together Books, Friends, and Fun

The tradition of book exchanges as Christmas Eve presents began in Iceland, but can be used for inspiration any time of the year.

There is a beauty and deepened comradery that can be found in shared silent reading. Biba Kayewich

Jolabokaflod.

That mouthful—it’s pronounced “yo-la-boke-uh-flowed”—comes into English as “Christmas book flood” and refers to Christmas Eve in Iceland, when many families and friends exchange books as presents, sit by a toasty fire, drink hot cocoa, and read.

This custom started after World War II, when paper was one of the few commodities still available in abundance. Even after those shortages disappeared, however, Jolabokaflod remained. The publishing industry depends on this holiday for strong revenues, but best of all, it kept Iceland a nation of readers.

Christmas Eve 2023 has already passed us by, and the next visit from St. Nick is many months away, but the thought occurred to me: Why not take the idea of Jolabokaflod, drop the ‘Jola’—which references Yule or Christmas—and make our own “book flood” here in the United States when and as we wish?

With sincere apologies to any Icelandic readers if I’ve mangled your language, I’ve drummed up several ways to bring a bokaflod into our homes and our lives, and to have some fun all year long with the printed word.

Reading Alone, Together

Writer Pamela Burger reports that GoodReads.com has more than 40 million members, while an estimated 5 million Americans also belong to in-person book clubs. These clubs, which generally consist of fewer than 10 members, usually meet once a month at a member’s home to discuss a book that all have read and to enjoy some refreshments and conversation. These gatherings are fun, inexpensive, and a great way to strengthen friendships.

But what if instead, you started a bokaflod club? You could set aside an evening, again, once a month, and gather at someone’s house, but instead of discussing one author’s work, you’d bring your own book of choice, then spend a certain amount of time—a half-hour, 45 minutes—along with everyone else simply reading together in silence. The members might then briefly review the book that they were reading and share why they were enjoying this particular work or author. Serve up some refreshments—cheese and wine, or the traditional cocoa and chocolates from Iceland—and like those in other book clubs, you’re enhancing your friendships.

The sharing of books in this way introduces others to different literature. Equally important is the beauty and deepened comradery that you may find in this shared silent reading. I’ve often found that the faces and postures of readers engaged in a book, their enchanted solitude, can be as moving as a magnificent sunset. We can glimpse this almost holy beauty in certain paintings, such as Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s “Young Girl Reading” or Franz Dvorak’s “Thoughtful Reader.”

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” goes the old adage. To see your friends as they read in silence may deepen your appreciation and understanding of them in unexpected ways.

Arrange a party where you ask your guests to bring one of their all-time favorite books and share their reasons for bestowing that honor. Here, you should stress that the choices need not be restricted to any genre or time frame. Consequently, you might be surprised. A 50-year-old attorney may show up with a copy of “Winnie-the-Pooh,” while that mother of four might surprise you with Volume I of William Manchester’s biography of Churchill, “The Last Lion.”

Once again, this act of sharing can open new doors into people whom you thought you already knew well.

White Elephants, Musical Chairs, and Hot Potatoes

If a room filled with silent readers is disconcerting, aim at the opposite, a loud party where the guests bring books wrapped in paper for a gift exchange. Depending on your guests, you could announce different themes. If you’re hosting a get-together for female friends, for example, have them bring a romance novel—surely everyone has read at least one Nicholas Sparks tearjerker. If it’s a couples evening, have some fun and tell everyone to mix it up a bit. If your pregnant sister is a bibliophile, throw her a baby books shower.

If you want to add more laughter to the event, there are plenty of gift games that you can play. A white elephant evening, musical chairs, or hot potato can be great fun for teens or adults. Guests can bring their own wrapped books or, if you’re worried about appropriate selections, just visit a thrift store, buy the needed paperbacks of your choice, wrap them, and commence the games. For a pittance, you can provide some great entertainment at such parties.

A literary charades night might also inspire reading while providing some laughter. Have your friends bring the titles of their favorite books written on folded pieces of paper, mix them up, hand them out, and discover who’s the actor in the crowd.

Home Alone

Many parents and grandparents want to make readers of their children and grandchildren. Many adults want to read more themselves. But we find ourselves so caught up in living that we have little time for books, or even forget altogether about the joy and comfort of reading.

Setting aside part of one evening a week for a home bokaflod can be accomplished whether you have a houseful of kids or live alone. Block out this time on your busy schedule, and you may well find yourself not only more engrossed in reading but also deeply appreciative of the peace and quiet that you’ve permitted yourself. Pop some popcorn, serve up some apple cider, and enjoy.

If you have children, these are the evenings when you can show, rather than tell, the pleasures and rewards of reading.

Bokaflod Is a Win-Win for All

We may not realize it, but reading books is good for us. In “10 Benefits of Reading,” Catherine Winter notes that reading reduces stress, stimulates the brain, improves our memory, and is a free source of entertainment.

Meanwhile, social commentators and health professionals express grave concern that the United States is undergoing an epidemic of loneliness. Many people feel a severe lack of social connections, which can lead to ill health and even early death.

Given the past few years of unrest, tumult, and acrimony on the national scene, many of us could doubtless use a bit more merrymaking in our lives.

Put together a bokaflod, and you can wrap books, friendship, and fun together in a single package.