Drinking Laws and History

Some of the laws Norway has for drinking are amusing. One such law is that people are permitted to buy a whole crate of beer but not one single bottle. Sometimes, a native is refused a drink at a bar while his friend from a neighboring town can drink as much as he wants. This is due to a tradition of fighting the evils of alcoholism that Asbjorn Kloster, a prohibition pioneer, brought about a century ago.

There are many strong traditions in Norway when it comes to drinking. Olav Tryggvason, a hero from Viking times, would get people drunk so he could burn their houses down without a fight if they refused to become Christians. The Vikings would often travel great distances just to get wine.

Distilling was first introduced by Archhishop Olav Engelbrektsson in Trodheim in 1530. Distilling apparatus soon became as common in households as pots and pans.

In the 16th century, it became forbidden to serve hard liquor on Sundays and holidays, which is still in effect today. Hard liquor was still made, first from grain, then from potatoes in the 18th century. Around this time, distilling also became illegal, but this law was repealed in 1816. Home distilling was ceased in 1848 when a law on the manufacture and processing of hard liquor was put into effect, but industrial distilling was still legal. Distilleries fell from 10,000 in 1848 to 40 in 1868. By 1851, consumption of hard liquor dropped from 32 pints per citizen to 12. Prohibition in Norway was put into effect from 1916 to 1927.

http://www.allscandinavia.com

Food For Visitors

Oftentimes, when a person is invited to a Norwegian home for a meal, it is for a kaffe, not dinner, as a kaffe is suitable for any time of the day. Norwegians are very generous and hospitable, and there’s always a lot to choose from, and one is often encouraged to take more. If it happens to be someone’s birthday, the kakebord (cake table) is covered with baked goods, such as sweet rolls, bread, cakes, and fruit.

In the country-side, these traditions are even stronger. Even if one just drops in unexpected, the woman of the household will go out of her way to put together a large variety of foods. If the season is right, there may be fruit pies, and a common treat is strawberries with milk and sugar.
During the winter, rømmegrøt (porridge made of sour cream) and fenalår (smoked mutton thigh) are common treats, often served with flatbrød (light, flaky bread).

Sweeter snacks include lefse (flat bread spread with a sugar and butter mixture) and svele, a thick pancake version of lefse.

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Christmas and Santa Claus

In ancient times, Norway celebrated Christmas in mid-winter in a festival of lights marking the transition of the dark winter to spring and summer. It was a time to celebrate the harvest, fertility, birth, and death. In the 900s, King Haakon I decided the holiday be moved to December 25 in honor of Jesus Christ.

In the past, barn doors were marked with a cross to keep evil spirits away. The cross was also used as a decoration on bread, a pattern in the butter, or on the ceiling above the table. The meal consisted of the finest food the family could offer, and everyone ate together- the family, the servants, and their guests. The food was left out overnight in case spirits happened to visit.

Advent is the preparation for Christ’s Nativity and marks the beginning of the church year. It takes place during the four Sundays before Christmas Day. This is a time for fasting.

Santa Claus in Norway is called Julenisse. He wears the traditional red stocking cap and long white beard. He also wears knee breeches, hand-knitted stocking, a Norwegian sweater, and a handmade sweater. He wears a fur coat over everything. He is usually jolly and happy, but he can be stern. According to old superstition, he was the original settler of the land. He kept the farm in good condition as long as he got his Christmas porridge or Christmas beer and lefse on Christmas Eve. Many farms would make up a bed and set a place at the head of the table for him. He comes to the house with a sack of presents on Christmas Eve, and a bowl of porridge is left in the barn for him and is always gone in the morning.

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Wedding Traditions

Norwegian grooms typically wears a hand-made suit made of wool called a bundas. This suit consists of a white silk shirt, a vest and topcoat, short pants, and stockings that go up to the calf. There are many colorful designs covering the bundas, each design unique to the place the groom was born or where his relatives are from. It is believed that the bundas makes the groom look like a Norwegian prince. Also wearing a bundas is the groomsmen and best man. The bundas come in many colors to make for a colorful event.

The bride wears a white or silver gown with a silver or silver and gold crown. Bangles in the shape of spoons dangle from the crown and makes a tinkling noise when the bride moves her head. It is believed that this sound wards off evil spirits, and during the reception the bride dances and the tinkling of her crown will scare off any evil spirits that try to inhabit her. Additionally, the bridesmaids wear dresses similar to the bride’s, further confusing the evil spirits.

Similar to US weddings, the bride and groom exchange rings and kiss to make their unity official. They believe that the round ring represents never-ending love and the kiss represents the exchange of a portion of each other’s souls.
Music is a very important part of a Norwegian wedding. The traditional song is "Come to the Wedding," and accordion music is played as the bride and groom exit the church.

After the wedding is a large reception. There are a lot of speeches in which the family and friends of the couple wish them luck and happiness. At the reception, one of two cakes are typical- the blokaker cake, which is a layer cake, or a brudlaupskling wedding cake, which is a flour cake covered with a mixture of cheese, cream, and syrup.

Finally, after the wedding, two small fir trees are planted on either side of the door of the couple’s home as a symbol of children to come.

http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com