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Cheers!
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Drinking a toast is a great way of breaking the ice in a social gathering. The practice varies in different parts of the world
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ONE THING all countries have in common is some form of intoxicating libation and the rituals that go with it. Toasting habits vary from country to country.
In the 18th Century, a toast was a way of making the guests know each other's name. It was definitely a great way to break the ice!
Wine connoisseurs will tell you that drinking a glass of wine is a pleasure to the senses of taste, smell, sight and touch. It is said that the clinking of glasses during toasting pleases the sense of hearing.
The word "toast" itself is derived from the old English custom of floating a piece of toast in a tankard of beer or wine that was passed around for everyone to take a sip. Finally, when it reached the host, he was expected to drain the last drops and consume the toast (by now reduced to a squishy mess) in honour of his guests.
The Romans were particularly fond of exhibiting their admiration for a woman or, several of them for that matter, by drinking a toast to every letter of her name! This custom was later adopted by the British. This gave rise to the expression, "toast of the town"! The custom was for the ladies to leave the gentlemen back in the dining room, to their `high spirited' part of the evening, while they settled for milder stuff in another room — most probably with their ears strained to catch what was being said in the dining room!
Somehow, by the 19th Century, this practice was dropped as it was "ungentlemanly" to mention a woman's name in her absence, in purely male company.
There are also historical evidences of toasting cups coming only in round based or bell-shaped tumblers or glasses, forcing the host and guests to literally toss the contents down the hatchet before setting the glass upside down on the table. The males participating in the toasting ritual of 17th Century Russia were not that lucky. Both the toaster and the guest had to turn the cup upside down on their heads!
In Russia, traditionally speaking, a bottle of vodka is placed on a table, and the drinking is not finished until the bottle is empty! The most common toast is za vashe zdorovye ("To health!"). A more political toast, often used by officials, is Mir i druzhba ("Peace and friendship").
In Sweden the toast is skäl, which literally means, "drinking vessel" and is derived from the word for skull. Early Scandinavians often used a human skull (of their enemy) as a drinking cup! In the modern context, North and East European countries have very formal toasting rituals. No one should taste wine or other alcohol until the host has proposed a toast.
In Japan, a drinking evening becomes an extension of the business day. It is an important way to unwind from the stresses of business.
No one pours a drink for himself; someone else at the table fills your glass. The standard toasts are kanpai ("Dry cup!") or banzai ("May you live a thousand years").
Toasting itself has survived the passage of time, though a lot of the formalities have been dispensed with.
One thing has stayed though: it is a great way to welcome your guests and even greater way to acknowledge friends or a guest of honour.
Are you a teetotaller? No problem! Present-day etiquette lets you toast with any non-alcoholic beverage. Modern rules are simple — be sure always to look the person you are toasting in the eye, be genuine, warm, short, and sweet!
CHITRA DANGER
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