Norwegians Hail Christmas with Viking Brew

[beans]

Vikings used to drink bitter ale as a tribute to the Norse gods at the winter solstice in December and when Christianity reached the far north around the year 1,000, Norwegians started toasting Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary at Christmas.

article here

Brewed Holiday cheer!

[guajolote]

bad link i think

[beans]

Aw crap. Minimising and restoring windows I cut and pasted the wrong address.

Fixed Link:

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml...storyID=3927622

edit to add: I think this is the same story, different title, too:

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml...storyID=3927489

Edited December 3, 2003 by beans (log)

[tryska]

have any of you ever read "Drawing of the Dark" by Tim Powers?

Beer is sort of a central character of the book.

[guajolote]

wow, that's almost $1 in tax per 12 oz. beer.

Norway has Europe's highest beer taxes at 16 crowns (1.35 pounds) per litre, compared with six crowns in Sweden, three in Denmark and just 1.5 in Germany.

[beans]

Yeah, the taxes are amazing. But then so are these wonderful holiday traditions. The sound like wonderful fun.

Many Norwegians hold tasting parties at the start of December. Blind-folded, they try every beer of the season and -- if they can remember -- vote for a favourite.

[choreboy]

The taxes are unbelievable in Norway, but so is the level of social services (Moms get 80% of their salary for a year as maternity leave, AND are guaranteed their jobs back. Dads get 6 months - I'll take it!).