Good Gray - Yule Book Flood

The Icelandic tradition of the Yule Book Flood 

The Jólabókaflóð, or Yule Book Flood, is a heartwarming Icelandic tradition that stems from the era of World War II, when, with strict currency and import restrictions, the already literary country turned to books for a popular Christmas gift. With paper being easy and cheap to import, the Icelandic publishers started a tradition of releasing most of the year’s new books in the months before Christmas and, in November, they would send a catalog of all the new releases to every household, encouraging the giving of books to friends and family as gifts. In Iceland, Christmas is celebrated with your immediate family on December 24th and usually consists of opening your gifts (often a book), having a festive dinner, and then spending a cozy evening together, reading new books and enjoying some chocolate - in any one of its many forms. This tradition evokes such a cozy, family oriented feeling, it inspired us to start our own Good Gray Yule Book Flood to try to bring this peaceful tradition to our shop and our friends.

 For us, books have always held a special place in each holiday season, but never more so than this year. While we might not be able to gather together in the way that we are accustomed to, we can still convene over shared stories, old and new, with loved ones near and far. We can rejoice in familiar traditions (or start new ones together), even when we’re apart. So, Good Gray invites you to share in the magic of books with us. They transcend distance and circumstance, spreading comfort, joy, and hope - even in a year like 2021

Please join us in our 4th annual Yule Book Flood! We have filled our virtual shelves with a variety of carefully selected books - some new titles, some old, and some still on their way. Treat your loved ones to a little armchair escapism this holiday season. To us, there is no greater gift. We love the comfort of a good book paired with hot chocolate, one of our signature candles, and a woolen blanket or hot water bottle for warmth. We are happy to help make your gift special with free Good Gray gift wrapping and a personalised enclosure. 

 Please also follow along with us on Instagram where we will continue the now familiar Yule Book Flood Literary Advent Calendar - a Good Gray tradition where we highlight a quote or passage from a favorite book every day (or almost every day) of the holiday season. 

 We hope you enjoy the Good Gray Yule Book Flood as much as we do. It's one for the books! 

 Happy Holidays from Laural and Lily

Notes about holiday shipping…

We suggest ordering early as shipping companies have stated that they anticipate delays this holiday season. Also of note - for the added convenience for our local (Petaluma only) customers, we now offer a
1-2 day hand delivery option.