Where does the expression “making a toast” come from? Just the thing to help you shine at your parties and cocktails. Raising your glass to make a toast is synonymous with joy and celebration. It means drinking a glass in someone’s honour and inviting others to do the same. Let’s discover together where this ritual comes from.
Making a toast: the origins of a tradition
First, let’s discover the origins and meaning of this wonderful expression! With all of this, you’ll be able to shine at your parties and tell the story behind a well-established tradition.
Raising your glass: what it means
Making a toast is a tradition that goes back to antiquity. Back then, it was customary to celebrate the gods by offering them wine and drinking in their honour. People also took to celebrating heroes and warriors by raising a glass of wine at the start of a banquet to kick off the festivities. By raising your glass, you’re really making a gesture of recognition. It becomes a moment dedicated to a deity, or to one or more people. Tasting a wine then becomes a celebration.
The expression “porter un toast”
You might think the origin of the expression is British. Yet it’s French! The word “toste” referred to a slice of grilled bread, soaked in wine to celebrate someone. This custom dates from between the 17th and 18th centuries. Back then, it was mainly about drinking to a woman’s health. So, in the 1700s, it was customary to say you were “toasting a lady” to drink to her health. The expression then broadened to celebrating every kind of moment. Now it’s your turn to make such a celebration!
How to make a toast, and what to say?
There’s an art to doing things well. To make a good toast for a wedding, a birthday, or any other event, you need to go through three steps. To begin, stand up and thank those present. Next, you need to say the name of the person you want to celebrate, and say why. You can take the time to explain the reasons for this celebration. Finally, invite everyone to stand and raise their glass in honour of the person being celebrated. Good news, you’ve just made a toast with class! With all that, you’ll never look at your glass of wine the same way again. We hope we’ve made you want to give it a try!
Traditions around the world
The tradition of making a toast to someone is far from being only French. You’ll easily be understood all around the world when you raise your glass. From China to South America, raising your glass will do you no harm. Still, do read up on local customs. There may be a protocol you have to follow.
”Porter un toast” in crosswords
A synonym for “porter un toast” often appears in French crosswords. It has 8 letters and starts with “T”. The answer is “Trinquer”.
