Contrary to popular belief, the ritual of clinking glasses does not evolve from efforts to prove that the drinks contained therein were not poisoned. *
The clinking of glasses has been added to the practice of offering toasts for a few reasons, none having anything to do with poison. Prior to such augmentation, toasts pleased only four of the five senses; therefore, it is believed that by adding the “clink,” a pleasant sound was made part of the experience, and wine glasses have come to be prized not only for their appearance but also for the tones they produce when struck.
Yet beyond mere aural pleasure, the act of touching your glass to that of others is a way of emphasizing that you are part of the good wishes being expressed, that you are making a physical connection to the toast. The practice also serves another purpose: (the article continues after the ad)
Uniting the individuals taking part in the benediction into a cohesive group: as the wine glasses are brought together, so symbolically are the people holding them.
* The myth has it that the clinking of glasses was supposed to cause some of the drink from each cup to spill into the other, thus negating any attempts to poison your drinking partner.
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Source: snopes.com / Pixabay
Photo: Holgi / Pixabay
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