A toast is a ritual during which a drink is taken as an expression of honor or goodwill. The term may be applied to the person or thing so honored, the drink taken, or the verbal expression accompanying the drink. Thus, a person could be "the toast of the evening", for whom someone "proposes a toast" to congratulate and for whom a third person "toasts" in agreement. The ritual forms the basis of the literary and performance genre, of which Mark Twain's "To the Babies" is a well-known example.
76-403: " Zdravljica " ( Slovene pronunciation: [zdɾau̯ˈljiːtsa] ; English: "A Toast " ) is a carmen figuratum poem by the 19th-century Romantic Slovene poet France Prešeren , inspired by the ideals of Liberté, égalité, fraternité . It was written in 1844 and published with some changes in 1848. Four years after it was written, Slovenes living within Habsburg Empire interpreted
152-514: A breach of etiquette. The general theme of a toast is "good luck" or "good health". At formal meals in certain countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, the first toast to be proposed is traditionally the Loyal Toast (" The King "). This may be adapted in other countries to give a loyal toast to the appropriate head of state . Selected examples of toasts worldwide: Libation A libation
228-517: A child is born and funeral ceremony. Traditional Festivals like Asafotu and Homowo of the Ga Adangbe people of Ghana and Togo. Also during installment of kings, queens, and chiefs, libation is poured. As recently as the 1920s, it was a custom in Lower Nubia for women to go to the graves of relatives every Friday and pour a libation of water into a red bowl at the head of the grave. For widows, it
304-548: A few drops of each beverage got mixed when clinking glasses . There is every likelihood that this did not work. It was much more effective for one table to share one or more drinking vessels, a procedure which was common for a long time. In Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian, "prosit" is a blessing used in response to a sneeze, in the same way the English expression "bless you" is used. In Germany, toasting, not necessarily by words but usually just by touching each other's drinking vessels,
380-507: A gathering, none should offer a toast to the guest of honor until the host has had the opportunity to do so. In English-speaking countries, guests may signal their approval of the toast by saying "hear hear". The person honored should neither stand nor drink, but after the toast should rise to thank the one who has offered the toast and take a drink, perhaps but not necessarily offering a toast in turn. As toasts may occur in long series, experienced attendees often make sure to leave enough wine in
456-399: A sacred liquid was offered to the gods: blood or wine in exchange for a wish, a prayer summarized in the words 'long life!' or 'to your health! ' " Toasts are generally offered at times of celebration or commemoration, including certain holidays, such as New Year's Eve . Other occasions include retirement celebrations, housewarming parties, births, etc. The protocol for toasting at weddings
532-480: A significant form which differentiated them from secular vessels. The libation could be poured onto something of religious significance, such as an altar , or into the earth. On the other hand, one or more libations began most meals and occasions when wine was drunk in Greco-Roman and other ancient societies, mostly using normal cups or jugs. In East Asia, pouring an offering of rice into a running stream symbolizes
608-487: A silent prayer he departs, not looking back. Hero of Alexandria described a mechanism for automating the process by using altar fires to force oil from the cups of two statues. In ancient Roman religion , the libation was a religious act in the form of a liquid offering, most often unmixed wine and perfumed oil. The Roman god Liber Pater ("Father Liber "), later identified with the Greek Dionysus or Bacchus ,
684-447: A spirit of peace, the Greek term for libation, σπονδή ( spondȇ ), became synonymous with "peace treaty". Libation was part of ancient Egyptian society where it was a drink offering to honor and please the various divinities, sacred ancestors, humans present and humans who are alive but not physically present, as well as the environment. It is suggested that libation originated somewhere in
760-490: A toast while drinking water. Toasting with an empty glass may be viewed by some as acceptable behavior for the non-drinker, though feigning to drink from such a glass would likely be seen as ridiculous. The person giving the toast should never do so with an empty glass, even if the glass contains nothing more than water. Teetotalers may view the drinking of toasts to be abominable and incompatible with their stand, as witnessed by this narrative from The Teetotaler (1840): At
836-439: A toast. Inverting the glass is discouraged. Toasting traditionally involves alcoholic beverages . Champagne (or at least some variety of sparkling wine ) is regarded as especially festive and is widely associated with New Year's Eve and other celebrations. Many people nowadays substitute sparkling fruit juice (often packaged in champagne-style bottles), and many authorities consider it perfectly acceptable to participate in
SECTION 10
#1733085601251912-402: A way of giving homage to the ancestors. Ancestors are not only respected in such cultures, but also invited to participate in all public functions (as are also the gods and God). A prayer is offered in the form of libations, calling the ancestors to attend. The ritual is generally performed by an elder. Although water may be used, the drink is typically some traditional wine (e.g. palm wine ), and
988-561: Is a Latin word, meaning roughly "be well", which is a toast in Latin and modern Italian, from which the German short form "prost" is derived. This is a toast in German. The expression dates back to the beginning of the 18th century when it was used among university students and eventually made its way into everyday language. In a ceremonious context and in connection with a short speech, the English word "toast" may also be used. The Latin word comes from
1064-450: Is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a deity or spirit, or in memory of the dead . It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in cultures today. Various substances have been used for libations, most commonly wine or other alcoholic drinks, olive oil, honey, and in India , ghee . The vessels used in the ritual, including the patera , often had
1140-423: Is a custom to proclaim "to life!" over wine in the hope that it will prevent bloodshed. A third reason is that wine was created to comfort those who are in mourning (based on Proverbs 31:6) and there emerged a practice to toast thus when drinking in sad times in the hope that one day the drinker will drink wine in good happy times, and the practice of toasting this way subsequently extended to all situations. Prosit
1216-460: Is a toast meaning "to life". When a couple becomes engaged, they get together with friends and family to celebrate. Since they drink l'chaim ("to life"), the celebration is also called a l'chaim. The origins of the custom to toast this way may be traced to an account described in the Talmud, where R. Akiva said upon pouring cups of wine poured at a banquet a benediction of "Wine and life to the mouth of
1292-426: Is also possible the reverse occurred; as milk libation was already known to Nubians, they may have introduced it to Philae. Libation ( Ancient Greek : σπονδή , spondȇ , [spondɛ̌ː] ) was a central and vital aspect of ancient Greek religion , and one of the simplest and most common forms of religious practice. It is one of the basic religious acts that define piety in ancient Greece, dating back to
1368-533: Is also referred to as a "prosit". The verb form is "zuprosten", where the prefix "zu" means that the speech act is targeted at one or several people. In the Swabian dialect , the word has the further meaning of a belch , called a "Prositle". The acclamation is followed by the clinking of glasses, often linked to other rules like making eye contact. This ritual is commonly attributed to a medieval custom, whereby one could avoid being poisoned by one's drinking companions, as
1444-475: Is common to pour a small amount of one's beverage on the ground before drinking as an offering to the Pachamama , or Mother Earth. This especially holds true when drinking Chicha , an alcoholic beverage unique to this part of the world. The libation ritual is commonly called challa and is performed quite often, usually before meals and during celebrations. The sixteenth century writer Bernardino de Sahagún records
1520-416: Is comparatively elaborate and fixed. At a wedding reception , the father of the bride , in his role as host, regularly offers the first toast, thanking the guests for attending, offering tasteful remembrances of the bride's childhood, and wishing the newlyweds a happy life together. The best man usually proposes a toast in the form of best wishes and congratulations to the newlyweds. A best man's toast takes
1596-403: Is done to share the accrued merit with all other living beings in all 31 planes of existence. The ceremony has three primary prayers: the confession of faith, the pouring of water, and the sharing of merits. While the water is poured, a confession of faith, called the hsu taung imaya dhammanu ( ဆုတောင်း ဣမာယ ဓမ္မာနု ), is recited and led by the monks. Then, the merit is distributed by
SECTION 20
#17330856012511672-401: Is essentially a toast as well, the message being one of goodwill towards the person or thing indicated. According to various apocryphal stories, the custom of touching glasses evolved from concerns about poisoning. By one account, clinking glasses together would cause each drink to spill over into the others' (though there is no real evidence for such an origin). According to other stories,
1748-482: Is offered abhisheka with water by devotees at many temples when they go visit the temple, and on special occasions elaborately with water, milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and sugar. In Burmese Buddhism , the water libation ceremony, called yay zet cha ( ရေစက်ချ ), which involves the ceremonial pouring of water from a vessel of water into a vase, drop by drop, concludes most Buddhist ceremonies, including donation celebrations, shinbyu , and feasts. This ceremonial libation
1824-405: Is usually a very closely observed part of culture. In private company, no one should drink a sip of alcohol before having toasted all the other people at the table. In doing this, it is very important to look directly into the other drinker's eyes. Not practising this is considered rude and often, humorously, believed to attract all kinds of bad luck (e.g. "seven years of bad luck" and the like). In
1900-493: Is usually done with sake , but at a household shrine, one may substitute fresh water which can be changed every morning. It is served in a white porcelain or metal cup without any decoration. Among the Ainu , libations are offered by means of the ikupasuy , a carved wooden implement with a "tongue," the pointed end from which millet beer or sake is dripped upon the venerated object. Shamanism among Siberian peoples exhibits
1976-463: The Bronze Age and even prehistoric Greece . Libations were a part of daily life, and the pious might perform them every day in the morning and evening, as well as to begin meals. A libation most often consisted of mixed wine and water, but could also be unmixed wine, honey, oil, water, or milk. The typical form of libation, spondȇ , is the ritualized pouring of wine from a jug or bowl held in
2052-613: The Grand Hotel Union , Ljubljana. It became an immediate success. Toast (honor) The toast as described in this article is rooted in Western culture , but certain cultures outside that sphere have their own traditions in which consuming a drink is connected with ideas of celebration and honor. While the physical and verbal ritual of the toast may be elaborate and formal, merely raising one's glass towards someone or something or clinking glasses with someone else's and then drinking
2128-685: The Poezije . "Zdravljica" was first set to music in the 1860s by Benjamin Ipavec and Davorin Jenko , but their versions didn't go well with the public, probably because the stanzas that they chose were not enough nationally awakening. In 1905, the Slovene composer Stanko Premrl wrote a choral composition. It was first performed only on 18 November 1917 by the Music Society ( Glasbena matica [ sl ] ) in
2204-462: The grove of the Eumenides : First, water is fetched from a freshly flowing spring; cauldrons which stand in the sanctuary are garlanded with wool and filled with water and honey; turning towards the east, the sacrificer tips the vessels towards the west; the olive branches which he has been holding in his hand he now strews on the ground at the place where the earth has drunk in the libation; and with
2280-420: The jue , has a large pouring lip, and may be regarded as a type of jug rather than a cup. In modern Chinese customs, rice wine or tea is poured in front of an altar or tombstone horizontally from right to left with both hands as an offering to gods and in honour of the deceased. The offering is usually placed on the altar for a while before being offered in libation. In more elaborate ceremonies honouring deities,
2356-410: The middle voice , the verb means "enter into an agreement", in the sense that the gods are called to guarantee an action. Blood sacrifice was performed to begin a war; spondaí marked the conclusion of hostilities, and is often thus used in the sense of "armistice, treaty." The formula "We the polis have made libation" was a declaration of peace or the "Truce of God", which was observed also when
Zdravljica - Misplaced Pages Continue
2432-455: The Aztec ceremony associated with drinking octli : Libation was done in this manner: when octli was drunk, when they tasted the new octli , when someone had just made octli ...he summoned people. He set it out in a vessel before the hearth, along with small cups for drinking. Before having anyone drink, he took up octli with a cup and then poured it before the hearth; he poured the octli in
2508-521: The British Royal Navy , the officers' noon mess typically began with the loyal toast , followed by a toast distinctive for the day of the week: The sequence was also prescribed in at least one publication for the United States Navy . A toast might be spontaneous and free-form, a carefully planned original speech, or a recitation of traditional sentiments such as this Irish example: May
2584-565: The Christian use of amen . Afterward, the libated water is poured on soil outside, to return the water to Vasudhara . The earth goddess Vasudhara is invoked to witness these meritorious deeds. Prior to colonial rule, the water libation ceremony was also performed during the crowning of Burmese kings, as part of procedures written in the Raza Thewaka Dipani Kyan , an 1849 text that outlines proper conduct of Burmese kings. Although
2660-617: The Jerusalem temple , and a double libation of wine and water was offered during Sukkot , possibly as a rain making ritual. Idolatrous libations were forbidden, along with the Torah's prohibitions on idolatrous sacrifice and worship generally. Libation is present and in Christianity appears in the New Testament and is the practice of Jesus and other biblical figures. In the same way, after
2736-472: The Rev. Gentleman mean by this, but that he had recently been preaching against Teetotalism? Let the Rev. Gentleman look at drinking customs and their enormous evils, and ask himself if he has done his duty; or whether he expects to be pronounced "a good and faithful servant ", if he continues even from the pulpit to encourage the great damning evil of this nation. Mr. Donaldson said that he was happy to add, that one of
2812-481: The anniversary of Cheshunt College, Sir Culling Eardley Smith was in the chair. This gentleman, after dinner, said "he had subscribed to the Teetotal Pledge, which of course was incompatible with the drinking of toasts;" when the Rev. J. Blackburn, (minister of Claremont Chapel, Pentonville,) said "he was not a teetotaler,— he was not in bondage, —and on that subject he had very recently been preaching." What could
2888-521: The ash and flames. This scene is commonly depicted in Greek art , which also often shows sacrificers or the gods themselves holding the phiale . The Greek verb spéndō (σπένδω), "pour a libation", also "conclude a pact", derives from the Indo-European root *spend- , "make an offering, perform a rite, engage oneself by a ritual act". The noun is spondȇ ( plural spondaí ) , "libation." In
2964-408: The bean and the cod, Where Lowells speak only to Cabots, And Cabots speak only to God. Toasts may be solemn, sentimental, humorous, bawdy, or insulting. The practice of announcing one's intention to make a toast and signalling for quiet by rapping on the wineglass, while common, is regarded by some authorities as rude. Except in very small and informal gatherings, a toast is offered standing. At
3040-432: The best of your yesterdays be the worst of your tomorrows. (to the bride) May I see you grey And combing your grandchildren's hair. Toasts are also offered on patriotic occasions, as in the case of Stephen Decatur 's famous "Our country! In our intercourse with foreign nations may we always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong." Equally traditional are satiric verses: Here's to dear old Boston, The home of
3116-571: The city of Rome by an African community. Libations were part of ancient Judaism and are mentioned in the Bible : And Jacob set up a Pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a Pillar of Stone; and he poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. In Isaiah 53 :12, Isaiah uses libation as a metaphor when describing the end of the Suffering Servant figure who "poured out his life unto death". Libations of wine were offered at
Zdravljica - Misplaced Pages Continue
3192-521: The dead at their tombs, libations would include milk and honey. The Libation Bearers is the English title of the center tragedy from the Orestes Trilogy of Aeschylus , in reference to the offerings Electra brings to the tomb of her dead father Agamemnon . Sophocles gives one of the most detailed descriptions of libation in Greek literature in Oedipus at Colonus , performed as atonement in
3268-447: The detachment from karma and bad energy . The English word "libation" derives from the Latin libatio , an act of pouring, from the verb libare , "to taste, sip; pour out, make a libation" ( Indo-European root *leib- , "pour, make a libation"). The Sumerian afterlife was a dark, dreary cavern located deep below the ground. This bleak domain was known as Kur , where
3344-424: The donors (called ahmya wei အမျှဝေ ) by thrice saying the following: (To all those who can hear), we share our merits with all beings (Kya kya thahmya), ahmya ahmya ahmya yu daw mu gya ba gon law' ' ( (ကြားကြားသမျှ) အမျှ အမျှ အမျှ ယူတော်မူကြပါ ကုန်လော ) Afterward, in unison, the participants repeat thrice a declaration of affirmation: thadu ( သာဓု , sadhu ), Pali for "well done", akin to
3420-529: The environment. It is suggested that libation originated somewhere in the upper Nile Valley and spread out to other regions of Africa and the world. According to Ayi Kwei Armah , "[t]his legend explains the rise of a propitiatory custom found everywhere on the African continent: libation, the pouring of alcohol or other drinks as offerings to ancestors and divinities." Milk libations for Osiris may have originated at Philae and spread southwards into Meroe . It
3496-528: The first bowl ( krater ) of wine was served, a libation was made to Zeus and the Olympian gods . Heroes received a libation from the second krater served, and Zeús Téleios ( Ζεύς Tέλειος , lit. "Zeus who Finishes") from the third, which was supposed to be the last. An alternative was to offer a libation from the first bowl to the Agathos Daimon and from the third bowl to Hermes . An individual at
3572-412: The form of a short speech (3–5 minutes) that combines a mixture of humor and sincerity. The humor often comes in the shape of the best man telling jokes at the groom's expense whilst the sincerity incorporates the praise and complimentary comments that a best man should make about the bride and groom, amongst others. The actual "toast" is then delivered at the end of the speech and is a short phrase wishing
3648-476: The form of libation called choē ( Ancient Greek : χεῦμα , cheuma , "that which is poured"; from IE *gheu- ), a larger vessel is tipped over and emptied onto the ground for the chthonic gods, who may also receive spondai . Heroes, who were divinized mortals, might receive blood libations if they had participated in the bloodshed of war, as for instance Brasidas the Spartan . In rituals of caring for
3724-597: The four directions. And when he had poured the octli then everyone drank it. In Hinduism libation rituals most often involve pouring the offered liquid over a murti or sacred image. Many temple images receive libations from the priests daily. Libations are part of Tarpan and also performed during Pitru Paksha (Fortnight of the ancestors) following the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar , (September–October). In India and Nepal, Lord Shiva (also Vishnu and other deities)
3800-412: The glass to allow participation in numerous toasts. Putting one's glass down before the toast is complete, or simply holding one's glass without drinking is widely regarded as impolite, suggesting that one does not share the benevolent sentiments expressed in the toast, nor the unity and fellowship implicit in toasting itself. Even the non-drinker is counseled not to refuse to allow wine to be poured for
3876-470: The great diversity characteristic of shamanism in general. Among several peoples near the Altai Mountains , the new drum of a shaman must go through a special ritual. This is regarded as "enlivening the drum": the tree and the deer who gave their wood and skin for the new drum narrate their whole lives and promise to the shaman that they will serve him. The ritual itself is a libation: beer is poured onto
SECTION 50
#17330856012513952-473: The hand. The most common ritual was to pour the liquid from an oinochoē (wine jug) into a phiale , a shallow bowl designed for the purpose. After wine was poured from the phiale , the remainder of the oinochoē's contents was drunk by the celebrant. A libation is poured any time wine is to be drunk, a practice that is recorded as early as the Homeric epics . The etiquette of the symposium required that when
4028-569: The infamous conduct of Mr. Blackburn. It is a superstition in the Royal Navy, and thus the Australian, Canadian and New Zealand Navies as well as the United States Navy that a toast is never to be made with water, since the person so honored will be doomed to a watery grave. During a United States Air Force Dining In , all toasts are traditionally made with wine except for the final toast of
4104-457: The libation may be done over the burning paper offerings; whereas for the deceased, the wine is only poured onto the ground. Japanese libations leave the liquid offering on the altar in a suitable vessel, while other portions are drunk by the participants. In Shinto , the practice of libation and the drink offered is called Miki (神酒), lit. "The Liquor of the Gods". At a ceremony at a Shinto shrine, it
4180-508: The libation ritual is accompanied by an invitation (and invocation) to the ancestors, gods and God. In the Volta region of Ghana, water with a mixture of corn flour is also used to pour libation. Libation is also commonly recognized as the break within the famous performance of Agbekor , a ritual dance performed in West African cultures. It is also poured during traditional marriage ceremony, when
4256-474: The most popular ministers of the day, the Rev. J. Sherman, gave Mr. B. a pretty severe and well-merited reply, by saying, "His brother Blackburn had said, he (Mr. B.) was not in bondage; he must be allowed to say, that he rejoiced that he (Mr. S.) had been enabled to break through the old and stupid custom of washing down sentiments by draughts of intoxicating liquors. He had thus become a free man. Mr. Donaldson concluded with some very severe animadversions upon
4332-592: The newlyweds a happy, healthy, loving life together. The maid of honor may follow suit, appropriately tailoring her comments to the bride. The groom may offer the final toast, thanking the bride's parents for hosting the wedding, the wedding party for their participation, and finally dedicating the toast to the bridesmaids. Typical traditional wedding toasts include the following: (to the couple) Here's to your coffins May they be made of hundred-year-old oaks Which we shall plant tomorrow. May you both live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live May
4408-540: The night made in honor of POWs / MIAs ; because these honorees did not have the luxury of wine while in captivity, the toast is made with water. Some versions of the protocol prescribe a toast in water for all deceased comrades. It is or was the custom in the (British) Royal Navy to drink the Loyal toasts sitting, because in old-type wooden warships below decks there was not enough headroom to stand upright. L'Chaim in Hebrew
4484-472: The offering of water to Vasudhara may have pre-Buddhist roots, this ceremony is believed to have been started by King Bimbisara , who poured the libation of water, to share his merit with his ancestors who had become pretas . This ceremony is also practiced at the end of Thai and Laotian Buddhist rituals to transfer merit, where it is called kruat nam (กรวดน้ำ) and yaat nam respectively. The most traditional Chinese ritual bronze vessel for libations,
4560-473: The poem in his Poezije collection ( Poems ), however the censor (fellow-Slovene Franz Miklosich in Austrian service) saw in the fourth stanza (" Edinost, sreča, sprava / k nam naj nazaj se vrnejo ") an expression of pan-Slavic sentiment and therefore did not allow its publication either. Prešeren believed the poem would be mutilated without both the third and the fourth stanza and decided against including it in
4636-502: The poem in spirit of the 1848 March Revolution as political promotion of the idea of a united Slovenia . In it, the poet also declares his belief in a free-thinking Slovene and Slavic political awareness. In 1989, it was adopted as the regional anthem of Slovenia , becoming the national anthem upon independence in 1991. The integral version of the poem was first published only after the March Revolution when Austrian censorship
SECTION 60
#17330856012514712-400: The quality of pietas , religious duty or reverence. The libation was part of Roman funeral rites , and may have been the only sacrificial offering at humble funerals. Libations were poured in rituals of caring for the dead (see Parentalia and Caristia ), and some tombs were equipped with tubes through which the offerings could be directed to the underground dead. Milk
4788-465: The road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. And rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand. An informal variation of the last two lines: And may ye be in Heaven a half-hour afore the devil knows ye're dead! In various cultures worldwide, toasting is common and to not do so may be
4864-472: The sages, wine and life to the mouth of the sages and their students." Many reasons for this custom have been offered. One reason based on the Zohar is to wish that the wine would be tied to the tree of life and not to the tree of death with which Eve had sinned. A second reason brought forward is that there was a common practice to make people who intend to kill drink wine and thereby be calmed, and therefore there
4940-510: The skin and wood of the drum, and these materials "come to life" and speak with the voice of the shaman in the name of the tree and the deer. Among the Tubalar , moreover, the shaman imitates the voice of the animal , and its behaviour as well. In Cuba , a widespread custom is to spill a drop or two of rum from one's glass while saying " para los santos " (‘for the Saints ’). An identical practice
5016-413: The souls were believed to eat nothing but dry dust and family members of the deceased would ritually pour libations into the grave through a clay pipe, thereby allowing the dead to drink. Libation was part of ancient Egyptian society where it was a drink offering to honor and please the various divinities, sacred ancestors, humans present and humans who are alive but not physically present, as well as
5092-467: The supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. This phrasing in Luke refers to the act of libation as the new covenant, to the blood of Jesus to be poured out in death. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. Libations were normally conducted in
5168-415: The symposium could also make an invocation of and libation to a god of his choice. Libation generally accompanied prayer. The Greeks stood when they prayed, either with their arms uplifted, or in the act of libation with the right arm extended to hold the phiale . In conducting animal sacrifice , wine is poured onto the offering as part of its ritual slaughter and preparation, and then afterwards onto
5244-437: The upper Nile Valley and spread out to other regions of Africa and the world. According to Ayi Kwei Armah , "[t]his legend explains the rise of a propitiatory custom found everywhere on the African continent: libation, the pouring of alcohol or other drinks as offerings to ancestors and divinities." In African cultures and African traditional religions the ritual of pouring libation is an essential ceremonial tradition and
5320-745: The various city-states came together for the Panhellenic Games , the Olympic Games , or the festivals of the Eleusinian Mysteries : this form of libation is "bloodless, gentle, irrevocable, and final". Libations poured onto the earth are meant for the dead and for the chthonic gods. In the Book of the Dead in the Odyssey , Odysseus digs an offering pit around which he pours in order honey, wine, and water. For
5396-461: The verb "prodesse" (= "to benefit sth/sb", "to be beneficial"). Consequently, "prosit" is the conjugated form (3rd person Singular, Present Subjunctive, Active) and therefore an optative : "To you/ to your health". Like the colloquial "prost", "prosit" was originally used by university students. In German, synonyms like "Wohl bekomm's!", "Zum Wohl!", and many versions from other languages may also be used instead of "prosit". The acclamation itself
5472-410: The word toast became associated with the custom in the 17th century, based on a custom of flavoring drinks with spiced toast . The word originally referred to the lady in whose honor the drink was proposed, her name being seen as figuratively flavoring the drink. The International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture says toasting "is probably a secular vestige of ancient sacrificial libations in which
5548-509: Was abolished, since the censorship did not allow for the poem to be printed earlier because of its political message. On 26 April 1848, it was published by the Slovene newspaper Kmetijske in rokodelske novice , that was edited by the Slovene conservative political leader Janez Bleiweis . Before the censorship was abolished, Prešeren omitted the third stanza (" V sovražnike 'z oblakov / rodú naj naš'ga treši gróm ") because he intended to include
5624-512: Was also once a custom for them to pour a libation of milk on their husband's grave the second day after his death. Similarly, it has been Coptic tradition for women to visit graves and make water libations, both in intervals during the first 40 days after a death, and during a few annual occasions, such as Nayrouz . In the Quechua and Aymara cultures of the South American Andes , it
5700-545: Was the divinity of libamina , "libations," and liba , sacrificial cakes drizzled with honey. In Roman art, the libation is shown performed at a mensa (sacrificial meal table), or tripod . It was the simplest form of sacrifice , and could be a sufficient offering by itself. The introductory rite ( praefatio ) to an animal sacrifice included an incense and wine libation onto a burning altar. Both emperors and divinities are frequently depicted, especially on coins, pouring libations. Scenes of libation commonly signify
5776-502: Was unusual as a libation at Rome, but was regularly offered to a few deities, particularly those of an archaic nature or those for whom it was a natural complement, such as Rumina , a goddess of birth and childrearing who promoted the flow of breast milk, and Cunina, a tutelary of the cradle. It was offered also to Mercurius Sobrius (the "sober" Mercury ), whose cult is well attested in Roman Africa and may have been imported to
#250749