It happens at every wedding or birthday event, when it’s time for the toast, everyone raises their glasses and the man of woman of the hour is supposed to give a speech about how they got here and how happy they are. Why do we do that? Why do we toast at weddings, birthdays and other events? Where did this custom originated and why? Learn the answers below.
The toasting habit, while almost always being held at happy events such as weddings, is actually from way back when when people didn’t really trust each other much, or at all to be honest. The habit started in the middle ages where people always fear of being poisoned as a way to kill off enemies or really anyone you just didn’t really like. So toasting was an agreed upon custom where two people would pour some wine from their glass to the other people’s glass and vice verse and in this way assuring that the wine is not poisoned.
Usually when people toast today they cheer ” to your health ” or ” nothing but good health ” so when you think about how this habit started, you can understand why this phrase of all phrases. They wish you good health because when they both drink from each other’s glass, they know it’s not poisoned.
With time the toasting habit changed a little bit and now we only touch glasses slightly and not really exchanging any fluids. The cling sound you hear when you touch the glasses together was thought as keeping evil spirits away from your life.
So now you know why we toast at weddings, but where did the word toast came from?
Have you heard of the phrase ” toast of the town “? Well, it has plenty to do with the phrase toast. Back in the days, they used to place a piece of spiced toast at the bottom of the wine glass or the entire bottle, this was done to add flavour to the drink, with time, every time a person would achieve high honors or accomplishment, people would want to throw a party at his honor, and the phrase toast was born.
While the habit is dated all the way back to 1660, it wasn’t until the early 1700s that the phrase toast was being used commonly among people. So now every time you attend a celebration toast, you will know where it came from and what it actually means.
Fun fact about the toast, the only drinks that are not used during a wedding toast or other types of toast are: Water, Coffee and tea, as in some places it is considered an insult to toast with these drinks instead of wine or other sparkling beverage.
Wedding toast guidelines
Yes, there are rules don’t you know? You can’t just pick up a glass and fire away, there is order in the world. The first toast of a wedding will always be for the bride, and from the best man or a very close friend. After that, the bride best man will have her say and finally the groom is the last to have a few words, and these words will usually be just a thank you lines to the people who praised him and his bride just seconds before and also thanking the parents and everyone who helped put together the event.
Is that all? Nope, the father of the bride has the last honor to toast the couple, thank everyone who came, and be the person to officially kick off the party and end the formal ceremony.
There are weddings where the rules are much more looser, thses are called non-traditional toasts and pretty much anyone who wants to say something can do so by just standing up and raising his glass and start talking.
Tips for giving a killer toast
First things first, fill the glasses, be polite about it and make sure the bride is the first to get her glass filled, then the groom, and the entire family and best man and brides mades. Only then fill your own glass before starting the toast.
Now take the glass and lift it and extend your arm at shoulder height, start talking and when you reach the end of your toast, remember that the last sentence you say will be the one the audience will remember and say it again after you. For example ” bla bla bla, now please join me in wishing the bride and groom a healthy and happy life together! ” And everyone in the audience will take a sip of their drink and repeat after you ” healthy and happy life! ” .
