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over time. For the
Icelanders, this meant written tales of certain families and individuals that allowed for the record keeping of Icelandic society. With a foundation of writing and reading established at the base of the nation's culture, the trend of literature was established and continued.
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that were the first to move to
Iceland. Runes have been found within the nation dating back to the 10th century; however, they have been referenced in other texts, suggesting their existence as early as settlement in the 800s. These runes were also thought to be passed down from the
70:) that is distributed to all households for free. The release of the Journal is the beginning of the book flood, signifying the start of the holiday season. The tradition comes from both Iceland's centuries-long literary history and the state of the economy
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in the war, Iceland had not faced the same economic crash that most of Europe had, which left them with an above-average spending capacity and fewer items to spend on. When the holiday season came, books were the most available gift.
143:. Many nations isolated themselves as they rebuilt their economies, most notably in western Europe. This diminished the number of imports Iceland received from other nations, which included most forms of giftware. Limitations on
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began the true
Icelandic fascination with literature in a way that was independent of any other nation. These works were written between the 12th and 15th centuries, though it is believed that they existed first as
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giftware. Given that restrictions on imported paper were more lenient than on other products, books became and stayed the
Christmas gift of choice.
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in the country. The tradition extends into the night, when
Icelanders will often read their new books and drink
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352:
253:"Iceland Has a Tradition of Reading Books and Drinking Cocoa on Christmas and Why Didn't We Think of This"
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goods were not as restrictive, making them a more common import during the post-war era. Due to their
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before they were written down. Their subject was that of historical records that became more
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Newly published books are listed in an annual catalogue called the
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for the annual release of new books occurring in the months before
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were the first samples of writing in the nation, coming from the
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303:"Literary Iceland Revels In Its Annual 'Christmas Book Flood'"
234:"10 things to know about Reykjavik, UNESCO City of Literature"
43:. These books are then purchased as presents to be gifted on
209:"Too Many Books: Do Icelandic Publishers Need To Chill Out?"
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Most famously, a collection of works known as the
Icelandic
111:, making literature a fundamental piece of the beginning of
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culture, with references to writing from as far back as the
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181:, another holiday celebrated by the giving of books
135:The tradition officially began in 1944, when the
47:. This tradition makes books the most popular
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353:"Guide to the classics: the Icelandic saga"
16:Surge in new book releases before Christmas
351:Ross, Margaret Clunies (14 August 2016).
279:Knútsdóttir, Hildur (December 14, 2009).
301:Teicher, Jordan G. (December 25, 2012).
139:was first published, as a result of the
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251:Staff, Country Living (2020-09-28).
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281:"From Iceland - The Jólabókaflóð"
207:Brandsma, Elliott (May 5, 2015).
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179:St. George's Day in Catalonia
331:"A Guide to Icelandic Runes"
174:Icelandic Christmas folklore
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141:post-World War II economy
96:settlement of the nation
285:The Reykjavik Grapevine
238:UNSDOC Digital Library
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415:Christmas in Iceland
162:Christmas in Iceland
35:) is a term used in
21:Christmas book flood
213:Reykjavik Grapevine
86:Iceland has a long
405:Culture of Iceland
388:2016-12-20 at the
329:Bergmann, Salvör.
113:Icelandic culture
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360:. Retrieved
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383:Bókatíðindi
72:during WWII
68:Bókatíðindi
399:Categories
362:2021-05-06
312:2017-12-15
262:2021-05-03
191:References
149:neutrality
125:oral tales
168:Hangikjöt
129:narrative
64:Icelandic
41:Christmas
29:Icelandic
386:Archived
156:See also
92:literary
76:imported
240:. 2011.
88:history
82:History
37:Iceland
218:23 Oct
145:paper
120:Sagas
100:Runes
220:2015
109:gods
19:The
307:NPR
90:of
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