Did you know that in Iceland on Christmas exchange books? The tradition is to spend the rest of the evening reading and eating chocolate, NOVA reported.
Households in Iceland receive a compilation of new books each year in a magazine called Bókatíðindi („Book News”). It is distributed for free and often features more than 800 titles.
The custom stems from Iceland's long literary tradition and the country's severe currency restrictions during World War II, which limited the importation of goods as gifts. The conditions for importing paper were much more liberal, and therefore books became an extremely popular Christmas gift. This was the beginning of a tradition that is still alive today.