In
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
, Beer Day () is celebrated every year on March 1, honoring the elimination of the 74-year
prohibition of beer. Prohibition lasted from January 1, 1915 to March 1, 1989.
Origin
In a 1908 referendum, Icelanders voted in favor of a ban on all alcoholic drinks, going into effect January 1, 1915. In 1921, the ban was partially lifted after
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
refused to buy Iceland's
main export, fish, unless Iceland bought Spanish wines; then lifted further after a national referendum in 1935 came out in favor of legalizing
spirits. Strong beer (with an
alcohol content
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...
of 2.25% or more) was not included in the 1935 vote in order to please the
temperance lobby—which argued that because beer is cheaper than spirits, it would lead to more depravity.
As
international travel
Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
brought Icelanders back in touch with beer, bills to legalize it were regularly moved in
parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, but inevitably were shot down on technical grounds. Prohibition lost more support in 1985, when the
Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
(himself a
teetotaler) prohibited pubs from adding legal spirits to legal non-alcoholic beer (called "
pilsner
Pilsner (also pilsener or simply pils) is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the Bohemian city of Plzeň (), where the world's first pale lager (now known as Pilsner Urquell) was produced in 1842 by Pilsner Urquell Brewery.
History
...
" by Icelanders) to make a potent imitation of strong beer. Soon after, beer approached legalization in parliament—a full turnout of the upper house of Iceland's Parliament voted 13 to 8 to permit the sales, ending prohibition in the country.
Celebration
The first Beer Day, Ölstofan bar owner Kormákur Geirharðsson recalls:
Following the end of prohibition, Icelanders have celebrated every Beer Day by imbibing the drink in various bars, restaurants, and clubs. Those located in
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...
, the capital and largest city in Iceland, are especially wild on Beer Day.; A ' (
pub crawl) is a popular way of getting to know the various bars and beers in this city, many being open until 4:00 a.m. the next day. The legalization of beer remains a cultural milestone in Iceland, and a major seismic shift in the nation’s alcoholic beverage preference. Beer has today become the most popular alcoholic beverage of choice.
The celebration of Beer Day in Iceland has inspired a similar event in the U.S., known as Iceland Beer Day, or IBD.
Iceland Beer Day USA
official site
See also
*Beer in Iceland
Beer in Iceland likely dates back to the island's settlement by Norsemen. In more modern history beer was effectively banned in Iceland for most of the 20th century. Since that ban was lifted in 1989, Iceland's consumption of beer has increased ...
*Prohibition in Iceland
Prohibition in Iceland went into effect in 1915 and lasted, to some extent, until 1 March 1989 (since celebrated as "Beer Day"). The ban had originally prohibited all alcohol, but from 1922 legalized wine and in 1935 legalized all alcoholic bevera ...
*List of food days
This is a list of food days by country. Many countries have designated specific days as celebrations, commemorations, or acknowledgments of certain types of food and drink.
Global or international
Africa
Brazil
Canada
Georgia
Germany ...
* Beer Day Britain
* Green Beer Day
*International Beer Day
International Beer Day is a celebration on the first Friday of every August founded in 2007 in Santa Cruz, California by Jesse Avshalomov.
* International Women's Collaboration Brew Day
* National Beer Day (United States)
References
External links
Icelandic Tourist Board official site
Iceland Beer Day USA official site
{{Iceland topics, state=expanded
Food and drink festivals in Iceland
Beer festivals in Europe
Beer in Iceland
March observances
Prohibition
Annual events in Iceland
Observances about food and drink
Spring (season) in Iceland
Beer culture