The Season For Memories

I’ve collected the fallen leaves and am ready for winter. As you can see in this picture from my backyard, it was just in time. We had our first snowfall several weeks ago.

Although the snow has melted, another dusting is forecasted. I like looking out at the snow, and the changing seasons make living in New England enjoyable.

Wherever you live, this is a time of year to step back from life’s daily hustle and bustle. The holidays allow us to spend precious moments with friends and family, gather at the table, tell stories, and capture plenty of pictures.

Memories are waiting to be made this holiday season. So go ahead, create them, and enjoy the time.

For this post, I’ll share a brief story about book publishing. I mentioned this practice once before, but since it’s fitting for this time of year, I’ll tell it again. It’s a custom in Iceland called the Christmas book flood.

The name for it is Jólabókaflóðið.

Tradition dictates that publishers in Iceland release a flood of new books in the months before Christmas. People then buy these books for others and gift them on Christmas Eve.

This practice makes books the most popular Christmas gift in that country. The activity often extends into the night when Icelanders read their new novels while enjoying hot chocolate.

On that note, here’s to new books, happy gatherings, and many new memories.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah and a healthy New Year.

All the best,

John