Coffee Sumbel? What?

 Dear Reader,

Due to my health conditions, I can no longer drink alcohol. As such, I would be unable to participate fully in any sumbels held honoring the Norse and Germanic gods. There is, however, an alternative. A get together that's been held in Germanic communities since the introduction of coffee is the coffeeklatch. You have your coffee and an assortment of goodies to eat as you visit with your guests. It's similar to the English afternoon tea (not to be confused with tea-time which is a heavier meal and more like what we call dinner in the USA).

A sumbel is a ritual where you get together and drink in honor of the gods, praising them for their goodness, making ritual boasts of feats you plan to accomplish, and generally enjoy the company of your companions and the gods. It's like a coffeklatch with alcohol (typically mead). Boasts made at a sumbel are considered to be an oath and their accomplishment will bring honor to the person performing it as well as the entire party gathered. Failure to meet the challenge that you have set for yourself may bring poor luck to the party and yourself, so a boast must be considered carefully before being made.

Replacing the alcohol with coffee makes it possible for people who can not have alcohol more fully participate in the sumbel. It also helps prevent intoxication fueled boasts that may put everyone involved into an awkward position. Coffee is still a mild mind altering substance (hello, sweet, sweet caffeine). So, purists who are concerned that the sumbel has been completely watered down can be a bit less worried. I've poured out plenty of coffee in offering to the gods and it's almost always been well received. On occasion, Loki will want a bit of Fireball in his coffee but I don't blame him on that one (it can be a tasty combination).