Seven bookish holiday traditions

Get in the festive spirit by adding these literacy-centered traditions this holiday season.

It’s no secret that the end of the year is a busy and bustling time for many families. No matter how you celebrate, you want to make fun and lasting memories for your children. We’ve gathered a list of seven bookish traditions that are budget and time friendly, but still give those warm and fuzzy feelings many of us associate with winter pastimes. Read on and see what you might try this season! 

1. Donate a book to a local Little Free Library. There are several holiday traditions that value charity. Donating to your local Little Free Library is an easy way to give back! Use the handy map on the Little Free Library website to find which one is closest to you. 
2. Honor Winter Solstice with Sun Bread — the book and the treat! Sun Bread tells the story of a baker and their townsfolk. Missing the warmth and light of the sunshine during winter, the baker makes bread in the shape of the sun. This sweet picture book includes a recipe for making sun bread. 
3. Take inspiration from Iceland and celebrate “Jólabókaflóð,” or Christmas Book Flood. The tradition originated in World War II, when most commodities were rationed in Iceland — except paper. Christmas Eve became an evening to open up your new books and read them late into the night. Not ready to invest in a flood of new books? Check them out from your local library and wrap them up before Christmas Eve! Return them after the holiday hullabaloo settles, and pat yourself on the back for celebrating literacy and saving yourself some money. 
4. Sip your favorite warm beverage while listening to a cozy winter audiobook. Hanukkah Bear, Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade, and Pete the Cat Saves Christmas are just a few of the dozens of children’s holiday audiobooks available on Libby. 
5. Don’t forget that cookbooks are books! Pull one out during your holiday cooking and show your child how the words on the page are connected to their favorite treats. Looking for a new cookbook to try this season? Vegetarian family members will be excited by The Veggie Christmas Cookbook. A Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook offers recipes alongside proverbs, project ideas and blessings. 
6. Create art inspired by your favorite picture book. After reading It’s Diwali!, try making a paper plate diya oil lamp. Spin dreidels in paint, shaving cream or pudding and make messy memories after reading The Dreidel that Wouldn’t Spin. 
7. Write and reflect on your year before ushering in the new year. Bookish traditions can include books you write yourself! Ask your children to write or draw about some of their favorite moments of the year. Bind the pages to create a memory book that you can look on fondly in the final moments of the current year, and also for years to come. Imagine the keepsake you’ll create if you keep this tradition going!