Holidays mean for my fgamily and me, time to read. No more Christmas presents for the adults, our rule for several years. With the exception of books. This means that everyone gives everyone a book.
My rule: I only give away books that I have either already read myself or would like to read myself. That creates connections. In addition, shopping for Christmas gifts becomes an adventure tour through the city’s bookstores.
And this creates a flood of Christmas books.
This is actually an Icelandic tradition, Jólabókaflóð. It describes the practice of giving books as the main gift at Christmas, which has its origins in the Second World War. Due to import restrictions, Iceland began to expand domestic book production. Books became a popular gift because they were easy to make and provided a valuable pastime.
Since then, the tradition has been established, and today almost all new book publications in Iceland are published between October and November.
On Christmas Eve, Icelanders give each other books and spend the evening and night reading them, often accompanied by chocolate. This tradition not only promotes reading, but also strengthens cultural identity and love of literature in Iceland.
Sounds like a good role model. 📚🎄
And here are a few of my elected books and you can guess which book landed in the gift box.
✳️ Thomas Schlesser, Mona’s Eyes – A Journey to the Most Beautiful Works of Art of Our Time is also a novel about the search for identity and truth, in which the protagonist Mona reveals the secrets of her past.
✳️ Valerio Curcio, The Top Scorer Has Gone Among the Poets – A fascinating story about a former soccer star who discovers his passion for poetry and redefines his life and career.
✳️ Han Kang, Greek Hours – A poetic and profound novel by this year’s Nobel laureate that tells the story of a woman who gains a new perspective on her life and past by learning the Greek language.
✳️ Zsuzsa Bank, Christmas House – A heartwarming tale of a family gathering in an old house for Christmas, sharing old memories and new hopes along the way.
✳️ Janosch, Wondrak and his friends celebrate Christmas – A lovingly illustrated children’s book that tells the adventures of Wondrak and his friends during the Christmas season and emphasizes the values of friendship and cohesion.
➡️ Would there be a book for you?
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My name is Bernd Scharbert and I support leaders with my experience after 30 years of leadership in the corporate world. Also on the question of how family, career and life can be reconciled. If you are interested, please feel free to follow me at LinkedIn, #prepare4landing or contact me directly.
