Who invented clinking glasses. The tradition of clinking glasses: history of origin and interesting facts

Not a single feast is complete without the ancient tradition of clinking glasses with a drink. This is both a sign of friendly disposition, and a sign of attention, and a symbolic congratulation ... Although this custom arose almost with the emergence of the table traditions themselves, its origin has long been forgotten and has become an indispensable ritual of any holiday, accompanied by a celebration at the set table, any event celebrated together, or an event accompanied by a banquet or buffet.

Clinking glasses is an ancient tradition. There are several versions of the origin of such a tradition.

One of them is connected with an ancient pagan tradition, which has a very deep meaning. Our ancestors worshiped various spirits and, trying to appease them, brought them gifts, including food and drinks, and drove away evil spirits in various ways: prayers, rituals, certain sounds.

Fearing that an evil spirit would enter a person through an open mouth, he was scared away by the ringing of bells or glasses (cups), which were made of metal before the invention of glass.

It was believed that the devil was always present at all the celebrations, which could only be driven away by the ringing of bells. And if there were no bells nearby, the feasters clinked glasses, hoping that the clink of glasses would still scare away the devil. The tradition to cross before draining the glass is also known, in Europe there was a tradition to cross the glass, and in Africa, before drinking the contents of the glass, they rang the bell.

There is another version associated with the knights of Charlemagne, which arose in 700-800. As a sign of mutual sympathy, the knights brought their goblets together with a great clash. From this arose the custom of the widespread custom of clinking glasses. By the way, in Europe today this custom is not so common.

According to another version, they believe that the custom of clinking glasses arose in a noble society, where various intrigues were woven - palace, family - and to achieve their goals, poison was poured into bowls and goblets of enemies. And with a strong choking, drops of the drink poured from glass to glass. The one who refused to clink glasses aroused suspicion and fell into the number of enemies. It was customary not only to clink glasses, but also to exchange glasses. It is believed that this is an old Frankish custom.

The French poet Pierre-Jean Beranger later wrote about the custom of clinking glasses in his poem, but did not compare it with this custom, which had long been forgotten by that time.

In Russia, clinking glasses is one of the main customs of the feast. “Let's raise our glasses, let's move them at once,” Pushkin wrote in the poem “The Bacchic Song”. And these lines have become one of the most common toasts in Russia.

There are some rules in the tradition of clinking glasses, especially in eastern countries. So, in China, when clinking, people with a higher status raise their glass higher, and if they want to show their disposition or respect, they keep the glass at the same level or even lower.

In Europe, there are different traditions - from the respectful pronunciation of the names of those with whom they are going to clink glasses to the simple raising of a glass in greeting.

And a couple more rules: a man should keep his glass lower than a woman’s, a subordinate - lower than a boss’s glass ...

If you look closely at how a person clinks his glass, it is quite possible to form a certain opinion about him. But who looks at it during a feast!

Let's just raise our glasses, move them together...

The tradition of clinking glasses at the table has acquired a variety of signs and superstitions. So let's find out which ones.

Signs associated with "choking"

The tradition of clinking glasses at the table these days has acquired a bunch of superstitions and fables.

And here are the most common ones:

• you can’t clink glasses at the wake;
• you can only clink glasses with alcoholic beverages;
• a man, when choking, should hold a glass lower than that of a neighbor on the table. But only if the neighbor turns out to be his boss, an older person, an honored guest or a woman;
• ladies clink glasses after men;
• a wife should not clink glasses with her husband;
• The last person a woman clinks glasses with is a man.

The last sign is supposedly associated with good luck, which will certainly visit a woman who has touched a man's glass with her glass.

The true meaning of "choking"

“Clinking” with glasses eventually turned into a beautiful tradition, which has partially lost its former strength. However, things were different in the old days. The tradition has repeatedly helped to save the lives of the powerful of this world, thus influencing history.

There are 3 possible versions of the appearance of "choking".

I

It is no secret that the rulers of the world, and just noble and rich people, the enemies have always strived to poison. The consequences of poisoning could easily pass for a sudden illness, cardiac arrest, etc. And given the development of medieval medicine, it was difficult to establish the cause of death. That is why people sought to protect themselves. That's why "choking" was invented. When everyone gathered at the common table, they banged their glasses hard. At the same time, part of the drink splashed out and fell into the vessels of the neighbors. And if one (or several) contained poison, many risked poisoning. In case of refusal of the drink, the person was considered a traitor. For the same reason they exchanged glasses. Over the centuries, the ceremony has taken root in European etiquette.

Exorcism of evil spirits

It is believed that the jingling of vessels hitting each other drives away evil spirits like a bell ringing. Evil spirits, as was believed in antiquity, could easily get into a person through the mouth, for which they were scared away in this way.

Of course, now no one will drive away evil spirits by “clunking”. But checking the glass before drinking from it is definitely worth it. Suddenly, the ill-wisher secretly poured something into it.

Military respect

The knights sought to emphasize their unity and brotherhood. During feasts, it was invented to clink glasses to denote the invincibility and strength of the military brotherhood. Over time, the tradition migrated to many nations, and acquired new meanings.

How to clink glasses

The ability to clink glasses plays an important role. And it is definitely able to protect against the fact that the contents of the glass will be out of place.

There are several rules:

1. At a celebration where people are little known to each other, they clink glasses very rarely. As a rule, this is a family and friendly tradition.
2. A glass or glass should not be raised above head level. The ideal option is to keep it at eye level with a neighbor, or a little lower. It is important to smile at each other.
3. In order for the wine glass to make a pleasant ringing when “choking”, it is necessary to hold it by the leg. Clinking the bottom edge and sticking out fingers is considered a sign of bad manners.
4. The best distance for observing the ritual is less than arm's length, that is, in front of the guest. You don't have to reach across the table to hit another person's glass with yours.
5. They don't always clink glasses after the first toast. In different companies, it is customary to do this after the second, and even after the third wish.

Until now, many people continue to believe signs. Going to visit, it is better to find out in advance about the rules adopted in someone else's house. If “choking” belongs to them, the hosts will surely be delighted with a guest who understands the ancient tradition.

Russians have many signs and traditions associated with drinking alcohol. One of them says that a woman or girl should be the last to clink glasses with a man. Where did this superstition come from?

How the tradition was born

The tradition of clinking glasses during feasts exists in other countries, but in Russia it is especially popular. It is customary for us to clink glasses after each toast.

One of the versions of the emergence of this tradition is associated with magical beliefs. Allegedly, in ancient times, people believed that while eating or drinking, an evil spirit could enter into an open mouth. To prevent this from happening, they banged their glass on the glasses of their neighbors on the table. It was believed that a loud ringing scares away evil spirits.

Another hypothesis is related to the history of chivalry. According to legend, in the 7th-8th centuries, at the court of the Frankish king Charlemagne, knights at feasts moved their goblets of wine to the center of the table and knocked them against each other. This symbolized the friendship, unity and strength of their brotherhood, as well as respect for each other.

Fashion for poison

However, most historians are convinced that people began to clink glasses for completely different reasons. Even in ancient times, there was a "fashion" for poisoning. The poison was mixed with the rulers, and the nobility, and the scientists, and the clergy, if they were objectionable. Moreover, the poisoner could be a person from the inner circle of the victim. The easiest way was to imperceptibly throw poison into a glass during a feast.

So they came up with a ritual. Wine was poured out to everyone from a large vessel, from where the owner drank first. They didn't think about hygiene back then. Only after that, everyone was poured a drink into a goblet. Before sipping it, the participants in the feast stood in a circle and hit their glasses against each other with all their might. As a result, their contents splashed out and could theoretically fall from one glass to another.

Thus, there was a possibility that if at least one of the containers contained poison, then everyone would be at risk, and not one specific person to whom it was intended. Sometimes they even offered to exchange glasses. If a person refused, he was considered a potential killer.

At first, the tradition of clinking glasses existed only among the aristocracy. Then it was adopted by the commoners. They did not even suspect the true meaning of the rite, they simply tried to be like representatives of the high society. Gradually, the habit of clinking glasses became part of European etiquette.

Signs associated with "choking"

At present, the tradition of clinking glasses at the table has acquired a variety of signs and superstitions. For example, they don’t clink glasses at the commemoration, this is done only on holidays. You can only clink glasses with alcoholic drinks: for example, it is not customary to clink glasses with juice or mineral water.

If a man clinks glasses with a woman, an elderly person, a guest of honor or a boss, he should hold his glass or glass just below the glass of the one with whom he clinks glasses. Ladies should not reach out to clink glasses first, they should wait until the representative of the stronger sex does it. And finally, the last one a woman clinks glasses with must be a man.

For money or marriage?

This sign has many different interpretations and explanations. Some say it's about money. That is, a woman who goes crazy with a man is waiting for financial well-being. Others that the sign works only if the woman or girl is not married. And in such cases, it also promises her a successful marriage. Still others argue that a man must certainly be single.

Fourth - that he is married. Fifth, that he must be young. Sixth - that a man and a woman should not have known each other before. There are also "compromise" versions of superstition. For example, if the man with whom you clink glasses last is married, then the woman (girl) should be rich. If not married, she will be married soon.

There is no detailed information about the origin of this sign. It can be assumed that it arose in the old days, when women were financially dependent on men and the easiest way to get rich was a successful marriage. In addition, men were considered safer than women. A woman was often called a "vessel of sin", in contact with which, you can bring misfortune upon yourself.

Many of the fair sex were engaged in magic, they could jinx or damage their rivals. Or even try to poison them. Therefore, it was preferable to clink glasses with a man. And if the lady also laid eyes on this particular man, this was the easiest way to attract his attention. Although another variation of the sign says that for the success of the ritual, you need to choose a man with whom the woman does not plan any relationship in the future.

By the way, a wife is not recommended to clink glasses with her own husband. According to one version, this can lead to the fact that she goes nuts in another sense of the word - she loses her mind. According to another, the husband will begin to cheat, there will be no money in the family, or the couple will soon part. This sign is even more difficult to find a rational explanation.

At a cheerful festive feast or during small gatherings with friends, it is customary to say toasts and clink glasses. This tradition has become an integral part of the drinking culture in Russia. However, few people think about where this ritual came from. After all, it does not carry any practical benefit now.

Hypotheses for the emergence of tradition

The tradition of clinking glasses is very ancient, but it is impossible to say exactly when it appeared. The same applies to the cause. There are several theories as to why people started clinking glasses. But their reliability is only hypothetical.

The function of a talisman against dark forces

The most consistent is the “amulet” hypothesis. In ancient times, people explained many natural phenomena by outside interference. Everyone believed in ghosts, spirits and evil spirits. Only the ringing of bells frightened off otherworldly forces.

The sound of choking with metal goblets resembles a bell ringing, so people believed that such a ceremony would protect them from evil spirits. Moreover, such a ritual is easier to carry out than to beat the bells during each feast.

A few more traditions among different peoples have become confirmation. It is believed that while eating and drinking, an evil spirit can enter a person through the mouth. Therefore, many nations have small rituals before drinking. For example, in some southern countries it was customary to ring a bell before drinking. And in religious Europe it was customary to be baptized before drinking.

Interesting fact: There was no such tradition in Japan. It is borrowed from Europeans.

Another confirmation of the function of the amulet is the behavior at the funeral. Although, according to custom, there is alcohol on the table, it is not customary to clink glasses at the wake. This can scare away the spirit of the deceased, who has not yet said goodbye to his family.

One of the common traditions associated with the use of alcohol, not only in our country, but also in other countries, is clinking glasses. Despite the fact that today most people do not put much sense in this action and tradition, except for a beautiful prelude to drinking alcohol, in fact, this custom has a long history and is even associated with saving the lives of many famous monarchs.

Where did the tradition of clinking glasses come from?

According to historians and researchers, the tradition of clinking glasses has three main versions of its appearance:

1. Exorcism of evil spirits. In ancient times, people were sure that their lives were constantly influenced by spirits and deities from the spiritual world. If some needed to be regularly appeased, then the latter needed to be driven away from themselves or their families as soon as possible. One of the beliefs said that an evil spirit could enter a person's body through an open mouth while eating. In order to prevent this from happening, it was necessary to knock the glasses loudly against each other. The clink of glasses frightened the spirits and they hurried to leave the house.
2. knightly ethics. In the 7th-8th centuries, among the knightly table of Charlemagne's entourage, there was a tradition, during regular feasts and feasts, to connect your goblets in the middle of the table and clink them with force and loudly. Such a gesture emphasized the unity and brotherhood of the knights, as well as their respect for each other. According to historians, the knights did not come up with this tradition themselves, but simply adopted it from other peoples, and subsequently often and closely adhered to it. The only innovation from the brave warriors was the symbolic meaning inherent only to their brotherhood.
3. Poison protection. This is one of the most common and most plausible versions associated with clinking glasses. Ever since antiquity, the struggle for power has been constantly accompanied by the poisoning of competitors and existing rulers. Particularly dangerous were people from the inner circle, who often could sit at the same table with the monarch. The poison was usually mixed into alcoholic beverages during feasts, when the victim who had drunk would lose his vigilance and relax. To save their lives, the ruling monarchs and their supporters came up with an original way. The head of the table first drank from a common vessel with an alcoholic drink, after which the contents were poured into the glasses of all those gathered. Before drinking from their own glass, the guests sat closer to each other and banged their glasses with force. Due to this, from glasses filled with wine or other drink to the very top, alcohol splashed out and fell into the cups of other guests. If at least one of the glasses contained poison, everyone could die, including the one who poured it. And if he simply refused to drink, he would immediately betray his evil intentions.

Today, the tradition of clinking glasses or glasses no longer pursues such goals, but still remains a popular and integral part of cultural feasts, especially during special celebrations or events.

Situations when it is not customary to clink glasses

Although the tradition of clinking glasses or glasses is well-established not only in our country, but also in other countries, in some cases, they try to avoid it with all their might. What situations or cases are we talking about?

• Spouses. Some traditions and rituals categorically forbid a husband and wife to clink glasses with each other. It is generally accepted that a wife can go crazy after clinking a glass with her husband or fiancé one or more times. And if newlyweds or an engaged couple clink glasses, then this will invariably lead to quarrels and disagreements.
• Funeral dinner. During it, it is not customary to clink glasses, because this tradition is mainly associated with celebration and fun. And another belief says that the clink of glasses can scare away the soul of the deceased.

Do they clink glasses in other countries?

The tradition of clinking glasses is not only a Russian custom, but also a ritual that is also known abroad. What exactly does clinking glasses look like in other countries?

• China. It is customary in this country to hold a glass of alcohol with two hands, and those who have a higher social status hold their glass above others. If someone wants to express his respect for another, then he deliberately lowers his glass a little lower.
• Africa. Here, instead of clinking glasses, they ring a small bell to ward off evil spirits.
• Switzerland. Before clinking glasses, people here look into each other's eyes and even call the name of the person with whom they are going to drink.
• Norway and Sweden. Instead of choking, the traditional word “Skol” is pronounced here, denoting a sincere wish for health.

Clinking glasses is a tradition that is integral in our and many other countries of the world. And although it has already lost its original meaning, it is closely followed during various feasts and events.