When Toasts Became a Thing
If
you’ve ever raised a glass and offered a few words in honor of someone, you’ve taken part in a tradition that dates back thousands of years. The
custom of “toasting” actually began in ancient Greece, where hosts would pour wine for their guests and drink first themselves to prove it wasn’t poisoned. The act soon shifted from a safety precaution to a gesture of goodwill. By the time of the Romans, toasting had become more formal. In fact, the word “toast” itself
comes from the Roman practice of dropping a piece of charred bread into wine. The bread helped mellow the flavor of sour or acidic wine, and guests would then drink “to the health” of the person being honored.
Through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, toasts grew more elaborate and symbolic. By the 17th and 18th
centuries, they became central to social gatherings, with elaborate words and rituals accompanying the clinking of glasses.
Today, while we no longer toss bread into our drinks, the idea remains the same: raising a glass is less about what’s in it and
more about the connection, celebration, and meaning shared with others.
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