Christmas Eve Books and Other Icelandic Traditions in GoWYLD

Dec 22, 2022

Child in pajamas and Santa cap sitting in front of Christmas tree and readingIn Iceland’s Christmas Book Flood, Jólabókaflóð, people exchange books as gifts on Christmas Eve and then settle in with hot cocoa to read. Two GoWYLD resources in let you explore Iceland and its language: Culturegrams and Pronunciator. Find these in the alphabetic list.

Culturegrams

Culturegrams is a reference resource for cultural information on places in our world. It includes World and Kids editions (Check out both for fun facts, demographics, interviews, Life as a Kid and recipes.), as well as States and the Provinces of Canada. You will find information about daily life and culture, including the background, customs, and lifestyles of the world’s people.

For Iceland you will discover that history, literature, and language are highly valued in Icelandic culture. Iceland publishes more than 2,500 books per capita each year, one of the highest levels in the world. Iceland’s legislative body, called the Althingi, is one of the world’s oldest parliaments. Also included are several recipes, including one for Pönnukökur, Icelandic pancakes.

Pronunciator

GoWYLD also includes Pronunciator, a language learning resource. There are 163 languages to choose from. From Afrikaans to Zulu, Duri to Dutch and Hindi to Hungarian, and (of course!) Icelandic. You will also find American and Mexican Sign Language.

You can check it out as a guest using the Instant Access tab, then Launch Pronunciator or click on Register to create a login, which allows you to track your progress and use on mobile devices.

Select a language to find 3 categories: Daily Lessons, Main Course, and Learning Guides & More.

  • Daily lessons are available for beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
  • The Main Course includes structured drills, quizzes, audio lessons, music & movies, and more.
  • Learning Guides & More includes structured 8 week courses, city tours, interactive grammar, and more.

Ready to start?

Find both of these great resources at GoWYLD.net. They’re available for free from your library or, using your Wyoming library card and PIN, from your personal computer or mobile device. For more information, about the databases, training, or marketing materials, contact Chris Van Burgh, Wyoming State Library Database Instruction Librarian, chris.vanburgh@wyo.gov.

If you have a question about this or any other article, please contact us at statelibrary@wyo.gov

Browse by Category

Browse by Month

Similar Articles You May Like

Happy Lefthanders Day!

Happy Lefthanders Day from the Wyoming State Library! Twelve percent of the world's population is left-hand dominant,...

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

Happy Birthday to Harry Potter! July 31 is this popular fictional character's birthday and a great opportunity to...

Happy Statehood Day, Wyoming!

Wyoming became the United States' 44th state on July 10, 1890. Today, Wyoming celebrates 134 years of statehood!...