It’s probably something you’ve never thought about in the first place; why do we clink glasses as a toast? It’s a habit that we all have, without really knowing its origins.
Everything started in the 16th and 17th centuries. In those days poisoning each other was a regular pass time within a certain class of persons trying to get rid of their enemies by lacing their drink. A refused invitation would have been perceived as being suspect, therefore in order to ascertain that the drink wasn’t poisoned, the guests would clash together their tin or silver goblets with the hosts in order to splash a small quantity of liquid into each others recipient. If the host proceeded to drink it meant that the beverage was not poisoned, hence, the reassured guests could drink the beverage.
It is often said that one should look straight into each others eyes when proceeding to a toast, this is also a result of those troubled times. The person’s eyes allowed the guests to see if there was an eventual reticence after having clashed goblets. If the host did not drink, it meant that the guest’s wine was poisoned.
Of course nowadays this isn’t the case anymore, nevertheless, the habit has persisted, clinking fragile glasses instead of clashing mugs, in order to share a moment of pleasure between friends, spouses or family. It’s the instant of shared emotions and feelings. around a good bottle of champagne or wine. What better way is there, to take the time to share beautiful moments with those that you appreciate?
Therefore, carry on toasting and clinking glasses to “your health” and taste, share and exchange these moments, which seem to get increasingly rare, as time goes by.
