All We Want for Christmas? BOOKS.

Christmas will be here before we know it and whether it’s for friends, a significant other, relatives, or co-workers, most of us have gift-giving on the brain.

Now, giving someone the perfect gift can be tricky with the latest fashions and techy gadgets being passing fancies, but one gift we’re happy to report that has stood the test of time? Books. In fact, people have been giving the gift of literature long before words were even put on paper. From ancient Rome to Super Thursday in the UK, we’re going to cover the long history of books as Christmas gifts.

December Festival of Saturnalia

Our journey begins in ancient Rome at a popular festival known as Saturnalia. The festival originally took place on December 17th, but was eventually extended to a week-long festival to honor the Roman god of agriculture, Saturn. During the festival Romans decorated their homes with wreaths and candles, there were feasts, there was singing, dancing, and games, social normals were set aside and there was, of course, gift giving.

In one of his books of epigrams, the ancient Roman poet Martial recommended the works of famous Roman writers such as “Ovid’s Metamorphoses on Parchment” and “Livy (the Roman historian) in a single volume” on scroll, papyrus, or parchment, as well as a “bookcase” and a “wooden book-covering” as ideal presents for the festival.

A Very Victorian Christmas

As December rolled around each year, how Victorians celebrated Christmas greatly depended on hardship – something the Victorians were not unfamiliar with. Despite struggles gift-giving continued to be a popular tradition and while most families didn’t have a lot of money, they still found ways to give thoughtful gifts to loved ones.

A handmade gift such as a pin cushion or useful gifts such as clothing were among the most popular gifts given, but in addition to them, books were also often exchanged at Christmastime as well.

People gave works by the popular writers of the time such as Margaret Oliphant, Joseph Conrad, and H.G. Wells, as well as classics like Charles Dickens and the Bronte sisters. Short story collections were also a big hit since they could be enjoyed by the whole family.

Making Spirits Bright: The Library War Service

The Library War Service was created when the federal government approached the American Library Association for assistance with providing reading materials to soldiers. The LWS solicited donations of books and magazines and asked that they be brought to public libraries. Throughout WWI books were common gifts for soldiers helping to connect them to home, relieve boredom, and allow them to escape by page.

Thanks to the generosity of many, the Library War Service received and distributed millions of books and magazines to soldiers. The LWS of WWI helped lay the foundation for future book-related projects, especially during WWII when the government worked with libraries and the publishing industry to create the Armed Service Editions.

Jolabokaflod

Pronounced, yo-la-bok-a-flot, the Icelandic Christmas book flood is a tradition that dates back to 1944 and involves exchanging books and reading them together on Christmas Eve. The books purchased and exchanged are often new releases and the tradition has become so popular that 1/2 of all the books sold in Iceland happen in the 4 months leading up to Christmas.

In fact, every year the Bokatioindi is released and distributed to every household. Within this free catalog are pages upon pages of new books. This tradition came to be during WWII when paper was one of the few things not rationed, making books a popular gift choice.

Super Thursday

In 2008, the UK started what would become an annual Christmas Book Flood when publishers release a barrage of new titles just in time for Christmas shopping. Super Thursday occurs on the second Thursday of October every year. This year, 1,900 books were released, a significant increase from the 1,286 books released in 2023. Heavy hitters this year include authors such as Boris Johnson, Julian Clary, Stanley Tucci, Kate Mosse, Terry Deary, and more.

A Very Bibliophile Christmas

We’re happy to report that the tradition of giving books as Christmas gifts is still alive and well, so this holiday season, consider picking up a hardcover edition for the classic collector, a well-loved and perhaps yellowing copy of a book for the paperback fanatic, a subscription to a book box, or bookish related gifts for the bibliophile who has everything.