DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have heard that there is tradition in Iceland where people give one another books on Christmas Eve. I think it’s wonderful and want to know more about it.—Ava, no town
ANSWER: Books are a common Christmas gift in Iceland, with dozens of new ones being published before each Christmas. There are so many new books published before Christmas in Iceland, that it’s called “the Christmas Book Flood”. In many households, Christmas truly begins at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and people go to church then return to their homes for a cozy time of reading, playing board games, and drinking hot chocolate and enjoying special holiday cookies.
To help prepare for this special night, most Icelandic households receive a book catalog in the mail in September to make it easy to choose what literary treat they want to give–and get.
According to a BBC report, “The country has more writers, more books published and more books read, per person, than anywhere else in the world.”
This tradition can easily be embraced by your family here in the states.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: Where can I find compostable paper products?—No name, no town
ANSWER: The grocery stores, Walmart, Target, Staple’s, the Dollar Tree, Amazon and area drug stores have many choices for these.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: I was looking for places to buy compostable paper products and found then at Hannaford in Turner. They also offer bamboo paper towels and tissues.
Furthermore, I have learned it takes 30 years for a tree to mature and just three months for bamboo to grow. 68,000 trees are destroyed every day to make paper products for the USA. Hannaford also offers plant-based small trash bags. We thank those involved for helping to save our precious earth.—Carole, no town
ANSWER: With holiday gatherings underway, this question seems particularly relevant. Keep in mind that just about all paper products are compostable/biodegradable because they are made from natural materials.
Bamboo products are nice and some are sturdy enough to wash and use again and again. You can also look for paper products that are made from recycled materials and do your best not to buy paper products that contain plastic.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: Is 7-Up still available? I haven’t seen it in a while and always like to have it on hand for the holidays because that’s what we had for a treat when we were growing up. The other clear sodas just aren’t the same.—Dee, Poland
ANSWER: The “Uncola” with no caffeine, now owned by the Keurig Dr. Pepper empire has been stumbling around with its marketing campaign for a while now as it attempted to be too many things to too many people.
The diet brand formula has been experimented with and changed up a few times too often and Cherry 7 Up has been the subject of a law suit concerning claims of this version containing “healthy antioxidants.”
I’m a 7 Up fan myself and the regular version of the soda still exists. I have found it at the Topsham Target and have also seen it at CVS in Topsham, at Walmart and on Amazon.
Ms. Sun Spots wishes you all Happy Holidays!
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