Winter 2006 Newsletter

To the Toast

I have heard it said that an Australian doesn’t need an excuse for a party and I like that. Any occasion we will get together with our friends and celebrate any occasion. From engagements, to weddings, birthdays to Christmas, New Years Eve, football and horse racing just to name a few. I remember when my husband first arrived here from America he was amazed at the ‘little do’ my friends and I had in the members’ carpark at Flemington on Derby Day. He thought it was just a very dressed up boot party.

With all of this partying though comes the need occasionally to toast the host and this can go from saying kind thoughts to a thorough roasting which is not really my sort of fun. I have always thought sarcasm was the lowest form of wit but enough of that soap box.

Toasts are held in all sorts of situations from the most formal toast to ‘Queen and Country’ to a simple raising of your glass to good friends over a meal. There are some simple rules to follow when toasting that often surprise me when they are over looked all the time.

When clinking a glass make eye contact with the person you are clinking your glass with. It is to the person not the glass you are making the toast. Mind you don’t get so caught up in the moment that you chunk your glasses causing breakage.

The person to whom the toast is being made neither stands for the toast nor even drinks with the others. This is one I see overlooked all the time and I suppose in many occasions the person being toasted wants to join in on the fun. Do keep this in mind, though, if you are at a very formal function and you are trying to make a good impression.

1. Even if your glass is empty and you can’t fill it in time at least still raise your glass with everyone else
2. If you do not drink it is ok to use a non alcoholic drink to drink from. If you have been handed something at a function that you cannot drink just mime the actions. No one needs to know at this point.
3. As most toasts are done with wines there is not the need to drain your glass with every toast. Now if you were in Russia and the vodka has come out expect to get yourself really toasted.
4. In olden etiquette books the woman never rose when she was toasted but I think in today’s age she should acknowledge any toasts that come her way.
5. If you are at a long table you may rise you glass to those at the other end. Do not feel you must make contact with everyone.

There are a couple of versions of where the toast dates back to. The one which makes most sense to me is older than time itself. Ancient warriors would drink to their gods to thank them and celebrate them. When the word toast was announced it was the sign for all assembled to drain their glasses and eat the piece of bread which was at the bottom of their cup of mead.

Today we do not always have the formal toasts complete with lengthy word of kindness or humour focused on one person in particular but often just say the word cheers amongst friends and join our glasses. This practise is so global that the same meaning is applied to a word in many languages. The following is a selection of the word toast from many languages around the world.

Australian –Cheers
Italian-Salute
Greek- Gia Suo
French -A votre sante or salut
German -Prosit
Swedish -Skoal (often referred to now as skol or ‘drink the lot’ and heard at many 18th birthday parties
Japan –Kanpai
Yiddish-L’Chayim
Spanish -Salud

Maybe over the coming weekends when you are enjoying a drink with friends or sampling the delights from our own Peninsula wineries you can use a few different words to celebrate the occasion of good times with your own friends.

My toast to you ‘May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night
and the road downhill all the way to your door’
taken from an original Irish toast

Cheers Clare Maxfield. www.claremaxfield.com.au

Return to top of page