Oslo, Dec 03: In a tradition dating from Viking times, Norwegians celebrate Christmas with a mind-numbing range of Yuletide beers. 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.
Anyone who failed to live up to the ritual of mixing a special brew for Christmas -- and drinking it -- was ordered to pay a fine to the bishop or lose their property.
''This is serious stuff,'' said brew master Olaug Flakne at Norway's biggest brewery Ringnes. ''You could end up being expelled from the country if you broke the beer traditions.”
''Christmas beer is a business that we take great pride in,'' said Flakne, responsible for this year's 18 different Christmas brands -- a total of 3.3 million litres.
Norwegian brewers offer a total of 50 types of Yuletide brew, available from November and through December -- a wider choice than in any other country in the world, according to the Association of Norwegian Breweries. Bureau Report