Skal Norwegian Flag Norway Drinking Toast

skål is a Scandinavian toast of friendship and goodwill which may be offered when drinking, sitting down to eat, or at a formal event. Some fans of Scandinavian culture have popularized the skål beyond its native countries, and it can often be heard in many peculiar corners of the world, especially in regions with a large Scandinavian population. You may also see skål spelled as skal or skaal. Like other toasts, a skål implies a wish for good fortune and good health, and it carries very friendly connotations. There are a number of different ways to say skål, ranging from a series of individual toasts in which everyone toasts everyone else, taking a sip of a drink with each toast, and a collective skål shouted out by a group of drinkers or diners. As one might imagine, in a series of individual skåls in which everyone salutes each person individually, one tends to become rather intoxicated by the end.