Forget matching holiday PJs or that pickle tucked in the Christmas tree. The most memorable holiday traditions don’t originate in shopping malls. They carry meaning, spark connection and don’t require maxing out your credit card. With that in mind, here are a few global holiday customs worth borrowing for your own celebrations.

Book Flood

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In Iceland, Christmas Eve is all about stories, not stuff. Families exchange books, then curl up together to read into the night. The tradition, known as Jólabókaflóð or Christmas book flood, took root during the Second World War, when paper was one of the few materials not heavily rationed, making books an affordable gift. Since 1944, every household has received a catalogue listing all the titles published in Icelandic that year, s

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