We love reading at Gomer and yesterday was no exception – other than the fact that Year 3 read all afternoon whilst dressed in their pyjamas and drank hot chocolate. On Christmas Eve, in Iceland, after receiving a new book from their family family, children cosy up in their favourite reading nook and spend the evening reading. This tradition is known as Jolabokaflod, which translates roughly to ‘Christmas book flood’ in English.

Jolabokaflod started during World War II, when paper was one of the few things not rationed in Iceland. Because of this, Icelanders gave books as gifts while other commodities were in short supply, turning them into a country of bookaholics to this day, according to jolabokaflod.org.

Y3 enjoyed unwrapping a variety of books. It is important not to ‘judge a book buy its cover’ so all of the books were wrapped in brown paper with only a blurb and small picture to entice the children into the book. The children had a lovely afternoon. Just as this is a annual tradition in Iceland, it may well become an annual tradition at Gomer too.