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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Custom of Touching Wine Glasses Before Drinking at a Dinner Party Come From?

Where Did the Custom of Touching Wine Glasses Before Drinking at a Dinner Party Come From?

March 12, 2020 by Karen Hill

The custom of touching wine glasses comes from a medieval host’s precaution against being poisoned by a guest, or vice versa.

The original ritual was that while touching glasses, a little wine was exchanged, poured from one goblet into the other, around the table.

Then everyone took their first drink at the same time.

By mixing drinks this way, the host and everyone else could be assured that no assassin was in their midst.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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